Silence Left Behind
by Ardent Chronicler
Summary: When she saw her friends die she wept, when she felt her Sensei die she felt hollow, seeing her kohais die before her, she broke. "You wish for it all to end?" She nodded. "I will end your misery child, I will end your suffering of this world. The next you wake, it will be in a world unknown to you. So familiar but foreign, goodbye for now Kato, let your soul wander and be free."
1. Shizune's cry

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO IT'S SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Glossary: Scene breaks will be denoted by a line of X's**

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 **I have recently been perusing through the onslaught of FanFiction on this website. I have found myself enamoured in Time-Travel fictions and their possibilities. This is a One-Shot that I had come up with after spending a few days enamoured into one such fiction called "Homeward" by Astroaves, I do recommend a look. I am very tempted to split my thursday Sunday schedule into a Wednesday Sunday schedule and begin writing this in earnest. If that is something you would enjoy then let me know in the review section.**

 **The majority of this fiction will be taking place in the Warring States period. I do hope you find yourself as enamoured as I in this form of fiction as the Warring States Era allows for a more creative flow. In a sense only certain clans or ninja can be pinned down during this time. I do hope you enjoy yourselves through this one-shot.**

 **I will be posting a poll as to if I should make this a weekly feature, such as my Flaming Leaves, or if this will be another option once I have finished with the Flaming series.**

 **Till the epilogue,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**

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Terror, sheer and insurmountable terror. She gulped looking over the area before her, a sea of dark tents, ninja in uniforms, and green haired white monstrosities. She reactivated her Chakra scalpels and with a wave of her hand she bisected another monstrocity vertically. She felt the heat of the sun on her skin, she wanted nothing more than to find her fellow disciple.

"SAKURA!" She cursed as she spun hearing the shout. She saw the blonde haired and blue eyed Yamanaka heiress screaming and pointing forward. She felt the earth shake underneath her as if the earth itself trembled at the strength the woman had.

"SHANAROOOOOOO!"

She saw her, finally, the pink haired teen flew through the air her fist cocked back as she flung to the ground. Another quake, another groan sounded from the earth below. She took off at a sprint, taking time to slide on her knees and remove a set of legs from two of the white monsters. She stood with a leap and met with a short bump her back to Sakuras.

"Shizune!"

"Sakura, what's the status?"

"We're down most of our fighting force, the medics are being slaughtered, and the wounded are being culled like sheep. We need to push these monsters back!" Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow. She really hated hot weather sometimes and during this type of fight she hated it all the more. She tightened her fists peering, she heard an all to familiar shut and her eyes watered.

"INO!"

Shizune cursed as she spun to see the Yamanaka heir fall to the ground clutching her neck as arterial pressure flooded the ground with blood. The white monstrosity that had blood around its throat smiled the dark red life fluid seeping from between its teeth. Something in her snapped and she began to perform hand signs as quickly as she could.

"SAKURA GET BACK!"

Sakura couldn't think, couldn't feel, she felt the things Naruto had called Zetsu biting chunks of flesh from her and when she had returned from her state she realized, she had walked into the enemies clutches, and now she was dying.

"NO SAKURA!" Shizune's eyes watered and just as her chakra had been about to burst she opened her mouth the light blue cloud burst forth from her mouth. Everything the mist touched began to melt as if touched by acid. Shizune fell to the ground weeping, her hands held upturned as she let out a wail of pain. She had never been that close to Sakura, but she had come to see the little pinkett as a sister, a rival. Sakura was gone, Hinata was somewhere missing, her patients were dead, Ino was dead, her Shishous chakra was extinguished so she was dead. Now it was her turn she supposed. She looked to the devastation of her technique one that was banned even by Tsunade. It was a form of technique loosely based on her uncles Reika no jutsu. Except instead of her soul being ejected and eating away from the inside, this technique vaporizes a portion of her soul and eroded from the outside. She saw nothing had survived save a few stragglers of the white things, they stalked to her like hounds.

"Shit SHIT SHITSHITSHITHITSHIT!" Shizune pounded her fist into the ground, feeling her pinkies metacarpal fracture. She couldn't care less, hugging her hands to her chest to cover her heart she leaned down collapsing in on herself and screamed. She wailed loudly and filled with her pain and dread, she hated this feeling, she wanted it gone. Why wasn't she dead already, why hadn't it been her and not Sakura or Tsunade? Why was she the one trapped here and alive, she hated this, so goddamn much. Shizunes wails of pain resounded loudly and she sobbed for what seemed to be hours, the white things wouldn't even give her the time of day, wouldn't end her misery. Day had turned to night, she could see the darkness as she collapsed on her side, she could barely see the skeleton ten meters from her. She saw the bone scarring on the tibia, the break she had healed when the girl was not even fourteen yet. The first time Sakura had hugged her and thanked her. Shizune felt hollow, she felt dead inside, and she wanted it all to end. She heard footsteps, she did not know when but someone had stopped and crouched in front of her.

"You wish for it all to end?"

She nodded her body too tired to even move to protect herself. She felt her head being moved and she looked into the eyes of someone she would have never seen before.

"I will end your misery child, I will end your suffering of this world. The next you wake, it will be in a world unknown to you. So familiar but foreign, goodbye for now Kato, let your soul wander and be free."

She felt lips on her forehead and she looked into his eyes, the purple ringed eyes.

"You deserve more than this, my descendant. My reincarnation, my sister in this world."

She watched him form hand signs.

"I am Hamura Otsutsuki, and I give you release."

Shizune felt a heat, then nothing. Her vision failed, her heart beat slowed, she felt her heart stop, and that is when she died. Shizune Kato, Age 31, first apprentice of Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin. She was the niece of Dan Kato a hero of the Second War, god daughter to Orochimaru, and little known mother to a small boy in the academy named Dan after her uncle. She felt nothing, saw nothing, heard and smelled nothing, tasted nothing. All around her was not just darkness but absence and soon enough she saw white orbs swimming by her. She reached out and her finger brushed a particularly pink one. Shizune nearly recoiled from the giggle that came from it, and all to eerily familiar giggle. One she had heard and shared, it was Sakura's voice.

" _Hehehehe, isn't he so cute? Hes your baby boy! What do you want to name him Shizune?_ "

"Dan." Shizune felt a pulse in the river of lights she flowed across, she felt warmth in her chest, a brightness. She heard words fill her mind, of times and memories she never forgot.

" _Ma, Shizune-chan, you know I don't mind watching after my own son."_

"Kakashi-kun."

" _Nee-chan, nee-chan! I did it Shizune-nee-chan!"_

"Ino-chan."

" _I love you, my sweet sweet girl."_

"Haha."

" _It's time Shizune Kato, awaken, awaken and find ourselves a peace. You deserve as much, my reincarnation."_

"Hamura." Shizune felt her body being righted in the air, she felt the water ripple, she smelled the salt, the fresh breeze, the pine drifting off in the wind. She opened her eyes, all around her she saw green. Trees that swayed in a breeze that felt safe, it felt normal. She cried tears that should have been gone, all too aware that her family, her friends, her son were gone and dead. She fell to her knees once again, this time her pants got soaked by water, her gloves and the ends of her sleeves the same way. Shizune opened her eyes and looked forward, she saw a never ending expanse of water, the ocean. That wasn't right, she was just in the middle of Kaze no Kuni, how was she on the coast line? Shizune stood, she looked down and saw she was still dressed in her standard issue Konohagakure Kunoichi uniform. Though she noticed she was missing her headband, she looked around frantically, she felt her chest tighten, her heart beat thundering in her chest. She looked out and around and she noticed something, her hair had lost its metallic sheen. She looked down into her reflection on the water and her heart leapt into her throat. Her wrinkles were gone from around her eyes, her skin clear, fair, laking any form of markings. She felt around her body, she removed her flak jacket and long sleeved shirt. It was gone, her scar from her C-section, the only proof of her baby boy, gone. She reclothed and let out a whimper, a cry of heartache for the boy who she had come to love. She needed to be strong, she needed to find out where she was, and where her village was. She needed her son.

"Don't worry Dan, Kaa-san is coming." Shizune steeled her nerves wiping her eyes on her sleeves and looked to the sky. The sun was high in the sky but due to the heat and the dark tone in the horizon, it was evening. She took of running behind her, knowing that it had to be wrong, but why had she been on the eastern coastline. She poured Chakra into her legs forcing her to run faster than ever before.

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It had been hours since she had started running and she came upon an all to familiar sight. Konohagakure Valley, the valley that nestled her home. It was filled with trees and empty, gone were the buildings, the rubble and half crater that remained from Peins all out assault. Her home was gone, her son was gone, and for once in a long time, she felt a pang of regret.

"Did I make a deal with the devil?"

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 **Now, like I said before, I am thinking of making this a feature of my weekly posts. I will start a poll that will end Thursday night with the next post of Flaming Leaves. If the poll goes through with the idea of adding this story to my weekly postings the schedule shall shift to Sundays and Wednesdays, Sundays for Flaming Leaves and Wednesdays for this fiction. Remember to vote, and till next time,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	2. Beginnings

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER OR THEIR SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays**

 **Silence Left Behind: Wednesdays**

 **Glossary: I am going to experiment with a new type of scene break. I am going to just use _ these underscores.**

"Speech"

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

 **This chapter is the beginning of Shizunes journey, it will answer a few questions and hopefully cause a few more. I do hope you enjoy it, till the end,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

She sighed, looking across the expanse once again. Trees, nothing but trees, she could even see the spots where her home should have been. The academy should have been to the left of it only by a few blocks, the hospital across town. There is nothing left, what had happened? How long was she out, or was she caught in Mugen Tsukuyomi? Had Madara succeeded? What about her baby boy? If this was the Mugen Tsukuyomi, shouldn't this be her perfect world? She needed to move, find people, collect information.

Shizune stood from her low crouch stretching her arms above her head cracking her spine. She looked over the distance and using chakra to enhance her sense of sight she faintly could make out a building in the distance.

"I don't remember there being a settlement that close to Konoha." Shizune crossed her arms and scowled, she knew the map of Hi no Kuni like the back of her hand. The closest settlement is the old Tanzaku Gai that was a solid two days walk away. She blinked when she looked down, why was she standing on part of her pants leg? Shizune rolled the pant leg up and over her footwear before she noticed something. Something that should not have been, she had her right pinky toe. That shouldn't be possible, she lost it during the beginning of the war!

Shizune hurried back to the stream that cascaded over the side of the Hokage monument. She quickly dug into her bag and found the small circular item, her mirror. She opened it up and laid it on the ground. Shizune stripped, down to her bare skin, and what she saw shocked her. Her breasts were smaller, she was smaller, her hair was longer, and most of her battle scars were gone. What the fuck happened? Shiune could feel a panic attack happening, she dressed herself and used a kunai to cut away the excess cloth from her pants and shirt. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, in and out, in and out. She opened her eyes and noted that it was barely past noon, she could make it to that settlement in a few hours of walking if she tried.

Shizune collected her gear from the stream, refilled her canteen and activated a nameless jutsu that had been created during the second Shinobi War to purify water with chakra. It would not taste the best, but it was hydration. Attaching her medic satchel to the back of her right hip she took the cloth she cut away and used it to bind her hair in one long wrap. Her hair was covered from her front hairline to a long stiff tail.

"Alright Shizune, you can do this, you can make it there. Just find out what you need to know and be on your way." Shizune looked off the edge of the cliff and did something she has not attempted since her graduation night with her best friends. Shizune leapt from the stone mountain side, spinning in air so her back faces the ground she spun her body so her feet could touch the side of the mountain and she touched herself with chakra. She skidded down the mountain and managed to stop her rapid descent a mere ten feet from the ground.

Her old best friend at the time, a woman who ended up dying during her absence from the village named Mikoto Uchiha, had this crazy idea as a sort of initiation. To let yourself drop from the Hokages faces and whichever one you can clasp onto at the last moment is the Hokage you would die like. For her she always caught herself under Sandaime-sama, and she was glad for it till the day she heard he had died, and violently.

Shiune brushed off her pants and looked out through the forest, it seemed so familiar, like a dream. She leapt into the trees and began to make her way westward to the building she had seen, hopefully someone would be able to help her. The trees were easy enough to call out, after all they were so similar to those she had surrounding her home when she was growing up. With each leap a new name came.

"Oak, Willow, Oak, Pine, Oak, Oak, Pine, Willow, Pine, Pine, Oak, Oak, Willow, Yew, Pine, Oak." She continued her leaps and bounds, it was a fun game to her, one her uncle and her Shishou had taught her when she was young.

Shizune came to a stop at the edge of a clearing, keeping her chakra suppressed was second nature to her, after all some of the children she worked with had been Sensors so she had to be able to mask her Jonin level reserves. She peered over the large clearing filled with buildings that all looked the same. She leapt down from the tree making sure to stay in its shadow, she quickly moved from shadow to shadow watching the people within. She had never seen these people before in her life, all sorts of different skin tones and shades of hair, it was fascinating.

These people reminded her of the Konoha 12, even though they had some similar colors for their hair, no two people were alike. Sakuras pink hair, Narutos golden, Hinatas blue, Sasukes black. It was just so fascinating.

Shizune saw a cut down stump that had been hollowed out and used as a firepit. On cut logs several dozen men all sat around the firepit talking, laughing, it seemed to be a celebration of some kind. She stopped and watched the group for what seemed like hours, the sky darkening, and once the children and mothers left from the group the men remained, numbering somewhere in the low fifties. She leaned forward a small bit her face still hidden as she listened.

"Do they have any idea what they are going to name the squirt?"

"Not that I have heard."

"This is Butsuma-samas fifth child, a small girl I have heard."

"I only hope Hana-sama will be ok, she is always so weak."

"She will be fine, hey Dan-san, what do you think they would name the baby?"

"Hm, maybe Kira?"

"No, that's too dark, she is the hime of the Senju clan."

Shizunes eyes widened, did she hear that right? Senju clan? What even was going on! As far as anyone knew Tenzo and Tsunade were the last Senju and both were barren, Tsunade by age, Tenzo by chemicals. She slid back against the tree trying to reign in her panic attack and she breathed. In, out, in, out, in, out. Shizune opened her eyes and laid back against the trunk of the tree concealed in the shadows. She did not even realize how tired, nor how sore she was, but it hit her when she fell asleep.

Shizune felt a boot hit her leg, she groaned, her body felt like it was on fire. HEr eyes cracked open and she heard her own labored breathing. She saw a tall man with a wrinkled face in red armor standing in front of her sword at her neck.

"Who are you? Who sent you?"

She couldn't breathe that well, was she poisoned, no there was not tell tale symptoms. She felt like she was having an allergic reaction.

"I will only say it once more, who are you? Who do you work for?"

Shizunes hand slipped to go for her pack, if she was slipping into anaphylactic shock she would need the epipen. The man scowled and held up her pack with his free hand.

"You want this? Why would that be, to call your allies and attack."

"Butsuma, the poor thing is sick."

"Quiet woman. Why do you want this pack, there are strange things in here, none of which look safe."

Shizune reached out for the pack and the tall white haired woman snatched the pack from her husband and gave it to the poor girl.

Shizune opened the lid of her medical pack the blade bearing down on her throat. She found it, though her throat was swelling and her hands began to shake. The epipen fell from her hands and she tried to grab it. The tall man identified as Butsuma reached down and grabbed it, looking to the girl.

"What is this, poison?"

Shizunes breathing became even more labored and she barely shook her head making a stabbing motion to her leg.

Butsuma was a cautious man but he could see the child wasting away, he jammed the thing against her leg and with a click it made a popping noise. Butsuma pulled the tube back and noticed the small injection site that cut the clothing. Noticing her wheezing starting to slowly fade he was shocked when the girl held her hand up and placed it on her chest. His eyes widened even further when her hand glowed a green and her labored breathing began to vanish notably faster. Satisfied with this he placed the blade back to her throat.

"Now, who are you?"

Shizune struggled to say anything but she managed to say something but her head was pounding and her ears ringing.

"Shizune?"

She nodded and felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Butsuma! She needs a doctor!"

"Alright, but Tobirama will be watching her."

Shizune blacked out when she felt her body being lifted from the ground. Her mind went blank and she felt herself slipping, was she going to die?

Shizune stood, her tell adult body naked and glowing white. Across from her sitting with his legs crossed was the same man who had come to see her the day she left from the battlefield.

"Who are you?"

"I am you, and you are me. We are one in the same yet different. My incarnations name is Hamura Otsutsuki, and you my dear Shizune-chan, are my reincarnation."

"What do you mean, reincarnation?"

"We are the same soul, different bodies, but our soul transcends time. My brothers soul, my nephews, and my daughters souls all transcend time and are reborn. In your time my daughters reincarnation was a woman named Hinata Hyuuga. You knew two incarnations of my brother, one named Hiruzen, the other was recently born named Mirai Sarutobi. My nephews were Naruto Namikaze and Sasuke Uchiha."

"What? Reincarnations? Mirai-chan, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san, Sarutobi-sama?"

"Indeed, and you are my last reincarnation. Our soul has seen too much war, death and violence. Every time we have lost everything, gained it all just to lose it. I am breaking the transcendent cycle for my soul. You are my last incarnation and I wanted to give you a gift. I used the remaining strength of my Tenseigan to send you to a time where you would be content. It will take time, there may be hardships ahead but I believe in you. In my final moments here I give you a portion of my original cells. I do not know what will happen, but it is the final gift I can give. You are no longer Shizune Kato my reincarnation, you are Shizune Otsutsuki, my second daughter and only living child. Live on and find your peace my little one." Hamura leaned forward and kissed her forehead and she heard an echo in her mind.

" _The slate will be wiped clean, your memories will be taken, but your abilities will remain. Live, musume._ "

Shizunes vision flooded with white light, she felt a white hot pain forming on her forehead and she let out a scream. She felt herself shrink and watched as a light blue bundle was taken from her. She couldn't focus, something was wrong, what was going on, no no NO!

"GIVE IT BACK!"

She opened her eyes, she felt so heavy, so sore. She looked around the room and noticed the sleeping white haired boy in the corner watching her. She saw him stand and walk out of the room quickly, probably to go get, what was his name? Ah, that's it, Butsuma. She still could not hear anything, everything sounded like she had cotton tucked into her ears. She looked around and took note of the bareness of the room, not even a set of clothes. She saw movement and sluggishly turned her head meeting the hard eyes of one Butsuma Senju. She saw his mouth move but she furrowed her brow, she couldn't hear him that well. He must have taken note of her hearing loss as he stepped in closer and kneeled down by her body.

"What is your full name?"

She had to take a minute, there was an echo in her mind.

" _What is your name?"_

What was her name, what was her name? Her name was Shizune she knew that, but the family name she had to fight the words out. She didn't even notice the words coming from her mouth as she spoke them in her mind.

"Otsutsuki. Shizune Otsutsuki."

"Very well, Otsutsuki-san, why were you on the border of my home?"

"I, I was sick I remember that. I was sleepy and saw the fire. I was watching and you all looked so happy, and I fell asleep."

"That is all?"

"All that I can remember, what, what happened?"

"I was hoping you could answer that for me. You were getting sick quickly then you had me jab you with some metal tube and you started to get better. What was in that syringe, because you have changed."

"What?"

Butsuma bent down and removed the girls cover, scooping her up in his arms he led her out of the room and down the hall to his own room where a full body mirror stood. Setting her down his hands still on her shoulders to steady her.

Shizunes breath hitched, her long black hair had turned stark white with a single black long highlight down the side. Her eyes were silver, not white through and through but silver with a pupil. Her skin had stayed the same shade giving her an exotic look but it was her height and bone structure. By her knowledge, this was the body of at least a twelve year old if not younger.

"What, I don't, what happened to my hair!"

"That is what you are concerned with? You have been out for the last week, every day you lost more and more pigment, and the doctor says by tomorrow you will lose your skin tone. Now, what happened?"

"I don't know, what, what's happening to me!"

Shizunes wide and tear filled eyes connected with Butsumas, she watched his quizzical look turn to one of surprise, to calculation, to anger. Shizune felt the hit before she saw it and was flung across the room.

"I am losing my patience you stubborn curr, who do you work for!"

Shizune felt the younger part of her mind slowly reigning control, her more logical side sliding away as she let out a scream, shrill and ear piercing. She scrambled backwards and against the wall, she tasted the iron in her mouth and swallowed her tears betraying her and pouring like a midsummers rain. Butsuma was storming towards her and she stood, she managed to duck below his kick and she tore the door open. She began to run from the elder Shinobi before she felt a tight hand on her throat. Butsuma as in front of her now, his hand clasped around her throat. She tried to call for help but nothing would come. He threw Shizune out the open door and she tumbled down the small set of stairs that led into the house. She tried to stand but couldn't put weight on her leg.

"Tou-san!"

Shizune saw a boy around her age, brown hair in a bowl cut, brown almond shaped eyes as he darted towards them.

"I have had enough! WHO DO YOU WORK FOR!" Butsuma unsheathed his sword quickly the blade slicing Shizunes outstretched hand and she let out another scream pulling her hand to her body cradling the bleeding appendage to her chest.

The brown haired boy appeared between them, she was thankful, she still couldn't stand and he sliced her palm open. She was crying her eyes out scared out of her wits at the angry man.

"Move Hashirama."

"No, tou-san, you're beating a child who can't fight back!"

"HASHIRAMA MOVE!"

Hashirama shook his head and held his hands outspread to cover as much space as possible, he made it clear, he was trying to protect her. He saw the blow but he took it anyway, his fathers fist hitting him in the jaw square on. Hashirama slid across the ground as he looked into his fathers eyes, but then he saw her.

"BUTSUMA SENJU THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Butsuma turned and scowled at the woman but even in her condition she stalked past him and grabbed Shizune lifting her into her arms.

"This girl is not even your eldests age! You threaten her as if she was Uchiha! She is a child not an enemy! How dare you strike our boy, how DARE you draw your blade on a child!"

Butsuma moved to speak but she struck, faster than even he could see and her slap turned his head. Stalking past him, he turned to watch her retreat into their house with the sobbing child in her arms. He looked to see the crowd that had assembled, many clansmen and his own children seeing the fight, if it could be called that. His rage grew and he finally snapped.

"WHAT HAVEN'T YOU SEEN ENOUGH! GET BACK TO WORK GODDAMNIT!"

Hashirama stood from the ground nursing his jaw, he spat blood on the ground and saw his father stalk back into the house. Hashirama hurried after him seeing his father enter his mothers room and the shouting match started. HE slipped into the spare room that they had put the girl in and he saw her shaking like a leaf huddled into the corner.

"Hey, I won't hurt you, my names Hashirama Senju."

Shizune was scared, she didn't know what was happening to her mind, she became less focused and organized, she was losing her edge, and she couldn't remember anything past her waking up under the tree. She looked to the boy her silver eyes stained with red and tears, her hands moved from her chest and Hashirama could see the hand print shaped bruise around her neck, the bruise forming on her cheek. HAshirama slid closer and he saw her get worried.

"I won't hurt you, I want to help you. You need to get your hand fixed and I have been learning medical ninjutsu from my sensei."

Shizune heard the term medical ninjutsu and she remembered her skills. Her hand gripping the bleeding slice began to glow green and the flesh mended but the skin was still separated. She crawled sideways towards the pack leaning against the door, she opened it and grasped the guaze and suturing kit.

"You shouldn't do that yourself, let me help, I promise I wont hurt you."

Hashirama watched her slide forward on her knees until she sat across from him, she slid the items towards him and held out her hand. Hashirama took her hand gently in his own and looked at the wound.

"You want me to finish healing it? You don't need stitches if I do."

Shizune nodded and then she felt it, an incredible warmth, like the sun when it first rises on a cold winter morning. She watched his hand as it glowed green for a minute and when he left her hand go her wound was sealed, not even a mark.

"Otsutsuki, Shizune Otsutsuki."

"Shizune-chan, do you want me to look at your leg?"

Shizune nodded her head and again she felt the warm fill her body and her leg stopped aching and she felt her strength return to her body. She felt his hand on her cheek and once again she felt the warmth as it healed her. She looked at him and for the first time since she can remember, she smiled.

"There, all better Shizune-chan."

"Thank you Hashirama-kun."

"If you don't mind me asking, why was tou-san so angry?"

"I don't know, Butsuma-san was angry about something, he thought I was working for someone and I dont know whats happening to me. I used to have black eyes and hair and now they're going away and it scares me."

Hashirama began to freak out, she was going to cry again! He had just become a brother to a sister and he had no clue what to do for a girl crying!

"Uh, uh, I'll be right back, I'm going to go get my brother Itama, he'll know what to do!"

Hashirama ran from the room as fast as he could, he leapt off the stairs nearly stumbling nd rushed towards the training ground that his family used frequently, his brothers would be there. He leapt past one of the distant cousins of his named Toka and instead of apologizing for knocking her over he kept running.

"Itama!"

The bi-colored hair boy stopped the middle of his kata and looked to his eldest brother running towards him.

"Ah, Nii-san, what's wrong?"

"I need you to come with me, the new girl is crying, and I dont know what to do!"

"Nii-san, just give her a hug."

"Really? That works on girls?"

"Yeah Nii-san."

Hashirama nodded before running off again.

Shizune sat there crying her eyes out, she was afraid of what Butsuma was going to do to her, what would happen to the two kind people she has met. She didn't want the brown haired boy or the woman she was rapidly starting to look like. She was scared, and tired, and hungry, her whole body ached from whatever was happening. She remembered skills, names of body parts, systems and their functions, equipment, chemical formula, dosage limits, she remembered all of this but not who she was before she got sick. She was scared and for all intents and purposes, she was alone.

"Shizune-chan!"

She looked up and saw Hashirama, he came back. She tried to stand but he latched himself firmly onto her torso in a hug. That is when she lost it, she grasped him firmly and buried her head into his chest bawling her eyes out in fear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry."

"Why are you sorry, you've done nothing wrong Shizune-chan."

Shizune didn't see it that way. She made Butsuma hit her, then hit him, then he argued with his wife, she knew she was going to be in trouble. The door slid open but she wouldn't let go of him until a pair of slender, warm, and soft hands wrapped around her and began to pet her head softly. She was pulled to the womans bussom and she snugged in against the woman still crying but not so badly.

"Musuko, go to your father, he wishes to apologize for striking you."

"Ok Haha."

Shizune watched Hashirama, her guardian for the day leave and she felt her fear sink in. That was until the woman kissed the back of her head and she unconsciously snuggled back into the woman. Her hiccupping and her tears had started to slow but she cung to the woman.

"My name is Hana, Butsuma is my husband. He wasn't in his right mind, so he wants to apologize by offering to let you stay here with us."

Shizune didn't say anything but Hana knew she couldn't talk right now.

"Just think it over for the night. I'm sickly, and I just had a daughter, little Momoshi-chan. She will need a nee-chan to help with the babysitting and learning."

"I'll, I'll do it."

"Thank you, Shizu-chan."

Hana snuggled this small girl, she couldn't be that much older than her Tobirama, but she was going to stay and help with Momoshi. She petted the girls head stroking the girls stark white hair that matched her, Momoshi, and Tobiramas own. Hana smiled and hummed a tune she would sing for her boys to calm them down when they got scared and it seemed to work, Shizune started to relax and slacken in her grip. Shizune fell to sleep and Butsuma opened the door not expecting his wife to be craddling the girl he had assaulted.

"Hana, I."

"No, just, for tonight, don't say anything. Just, let the poor girl rest, she's been through enough as it is."

"What did she say?"

"She agreed, she knows medical ninjutsu, to a very high extent. She probably doesn't even know how to defend herself outside of healing. She can be Momoshi's nurse for scrapes or cuts, she is going to be helping me around the house and taking care of Momoshi. You are going to stay away from her till she calms down, and after what you did that might be a while. I love you Butsuma, with all my heart, but this time you crossed the line you told me you would never. You stopped the killings of children that you could or their abuse, so imagine how I feel knowing you broke your promise to me."

"Hana, I know I did not act right, I hurt Shizune-san. I will apologize when I can. She will be staying in this room, it will be her own."

"Good, she is not leaving my side for the night, Hashirama tried to help her but she needs a woman right now, not a man."

Butsuma nodded and closed the door leaving the two females in the room, he felt guilt, he knew he broke the one code he promised not to.

 **I hope you enjoyed this first installment of Silence Left Behind. I am looking forward to expanding on this AU and the OC Shizune. I could never find Hashiramas mothers name so I made up something. There won't be arcs at all in this story, not till at least Hashirama takes over for the Senju. Till that point it will be a few fillers and maybe a few plot twists, I hope you enjoyed the Otsutsuki bit. I wanted to do something nice and I never see anything done to the Otsutsuki clan, so I put this into the story. Till the next Chapter,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	3. Family and Tragedy

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays**

 **Silence Left Behind: Wednesdays**

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 **Glossary: So the underscores did nothing, quite literally. I am going to go back to my system of X's**

"Speech"

' _Flashback speech (very seldom)'_

 _Flashback story (very seldom)_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

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 **This chapter is the beginning of Shizunes journey, it will answer a few questions and hopefully cause a few more. Also as a warning, there is a dark scene near the end of the chapter, so those of you who are easily triggered, you have been warned. I do hope you enjoy it, till the end,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

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It had been one month since the day Butsuma had beat her, she could still feel the way his hand grabbed her neck. True to the doctors word she lost her tan, her skin now a pale shade. Many of the clansmen started to refer to her as Hana's clone, but everyone was quickly reminded, she was not from the Senju. Shizune liked her duties, they weren't hard and they were fun. She helped Hana with her bathing, dressing, hygiene when needed, and she took care of Momoshi. Momoshi and Shizune were inseparable unless told to put her down. Momoshi looked so similar to Shizune that Shizune sometimes liked to pretend that Momoshi was her little sister, and Hashirama was her big brother. The best part is, Itama called her nee-chan, Hashirama called her his imouto, and Hana sometimes called Shizune her musume. She loved everyone in the family, quickly, well everyone except Tobirama and Butsuma. She respected Butsuma, even if she feared him. He had a lot on his plate, clan leader, father of three boys and one girl, and a Shinobi only matched by a man named Tajima Uchiha. Tobirama, for lack of a better word, was an asshole. He went out of his way to make things harder for her, he talked down to her, and he openly was hostile to her. She remembered the first time he did something to her and it ended up hurting Momoshi.

 _Shizune had just picked Momoshi up and was walking to go join Hana in her room for some alone time when she felt a hand on her back. A hard shove hit her a foot catching her ankle and she was sent tumbling to the floor. Momoshi hit the ground and Shizune heard the pop of the babies shoulder joint being knocked out of socket. She felt a blade on her neck but didnt care about it, she scrambled for Momoshi and immediately popped the babies shoulder into socket and began to heal the damage. As soon as she was done and was about to pick up Momoshi she was grabbed by her hair and pushed against the wall, a kunai to her bleeding throat._

' _You don't deserve to be here, you are a spy or an outsider. You don't deserve to be around haha or my imouto. You may have everyone else fooled, but you don't have me.'_

 _Shizunes eyes were wide with fear but a sliding door opened and she could see Butsumas face, anger ridden through it._

' _TOBIRAMA WHAT IN THE NAME OF OUR ANCESTORS DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!'_

 _Shizune saw Butsuma stalking towards them and she was even more frightened, it was barely a week since the beating and she was terrified of the man still. She saw him wrench Tobirama away from her and before another word could be said she dashed towards Momoshi, scooping her into her arms and running into Hanas room closing the door behind her. She didn't leave the room for two days after that._

Tobirama was a dick, since that day he has cut her, punched her, pushed her, slandered her, and even tried to get her to hurt Momoshi or Hana just so she would leave. More often than not Butsuma, another clan member, or her ever faithful guardian Hashirama would stop him. There was only one boy she cared for more than anyone else, save Hana or Momoshi, and his name was Itama.

The bi-colored hair he had reminded her of her own, the majority white and one long thick black streak on the side of her head. Itama played with her and Momoshi, he helped her with her chores, and even gave her some of the best hugs. Better than even Hanas, dont get her wrong, Hanas hugs were warm, and soft, and they were like a hot meal in winter. Itamas hugs were different, they were like relaxing in the shade with your best friend and a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer's day. Like cold water to a dry throat, warm and wet sand between your toes at the beach. Itama was secretly her favorite boy in the whole compound, even if Hashirama spent more time with her. She would do anything for Itama, he was her best friend, her favorite boy, and secretly she wanted him to be a teddy bear so she could hug and squeeze him at night.

She was so scared when the boys went off to battle, she was worried for Hashirama and Itama, she knew Tobirama and Butsuma would be fine, but when Itama came home unconscious and bleeding she didnt even wait for them to be in the compound. She ran out and began healing him running with the men towards the healers home. She followed them in her glowing hands never leaving his chest and she found out, if it weren't for her healing skills, he would have been dead. That night she stayed by his side crying her eyes out, she was so scared, she couldn't feel her edge anymore, she was so distracted and couldn't focus as well, but she was mostly scared that Itama should have died. Itama, her teddy bear, should have been dead and gone.

"Shizu-chan."

Shizune groaned and pulled herself closer to Itamas side.

"Shizu-chan."

Shizunes eyes cracked open and she saw familiar brown eyes staring into her own. She blinked rapidly and felt her heart soar. She sat up quickly and clung to the boy bawling her eyes out into his chest. She felt his hand pet the back of her head smoothing her loose hair down.

"I'm ok Shizu-chan, I'm ok. I'm here and I'm not going to leave you like that again."

"You, you promise?"

Itama smiled softly to her, he knew it was unfair to make the promise but he still had to, for her sake.

"I promise Shizu-chan."

Shizune nodded into his chest and she sat up sitting on her side. She smiled when he placed his hand on her cheek and she turned nuzzling his hand.

"You stayed here all night?"

"Mhm, I wasn't going to leave you till I knew you were safe."

"Well, I'm safe now, go home, take care of yourself and Momoshi, and I'll be there in a couple f hours."

Shizune nodded and hugged him tightly one last time before she stood up.

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Hana smiled down to Momoshi and cooed at her. Hearing Momoshi cackling like she found the funniest thing in the world she leaned down and kissed Momoshi's forehead. She looked up when her door slid open and she smiled softly to the young girl she had come to care for.

"Shizune-chan, you stayed all night?"

Shizune nodded to Hana and walked to the two, she sat down across from them and Hana handed Momoshi over to Shizune gently.

"I've fed her and she's been bathed. I have a few little bits of business to handle and then I'll take her again. You should spend time with Itama-kun."

Shizune smiled to the woman.

"I would like that, Ita-kun said he would be home soon. Hachi-san will want to give him a once over, but he will be ok."

Hana leaned forward and kissed Shizunes forehead.

"Thank you, my little angel of mercy. I have lost one of my babies to this war, you saved another. Thank you so much, Shizune-chan."

Shizune hugged Hana gently as to not suffocate Momoshi, she felt the woman hug her back. The door to the room opened and a red eyed Butsuma entered, He picked Momoshi up and placed her back into Hanas arms. He picked Shizune up with a bone crushing hug and he cried into her shoulder. Shizune hugged him back and rubbed his back gently.

"Thank you, I know I haven't been the nicest, or kindest person to you. I hurt you, and I've ignored you, and I am so so sorry. You saved my boy, my little Itama. Thank you so much."

Shizune gave him a squeeze and he set her down. She saw him wipe his eyes and she smiled reaching up to his shoulder that had a red stain seeping through the shirt. Shizunes hand glew green and settled over the hidden wound. She healed it in a matter of moments, a shallow kunai wound, but it still bled. Shizune looked up to him and gave him a smile. She may still be afraid of him for what he did, but she knew he only did it to protect his family.

Butsuma placed a hand atop Shizunes head and he gently rubbed the top of her head. This small, frail, kind child saved his sons life. He would find a way to repay her, he knew he would.

"Shizune-chan, can you take Momoshi-chan out to Hachi-sans to pick up my medicine? I need to talk to Butsuma-san alone for a minute, ok?"

Shizune nodded and lifted Momoshi into her arms, she smiled hearing the small babies cackling. Shizune padded out of the room and closed the door behind her, and staring her down in the middle of the hall was Tobirama. Her heart began to race, her pupils dilated, she was prepared for fight or flight. Tobirama still had blood on his face and armor, he still had yet to b healed but he was terrifying to her.

"Shizune-san I"

Shizune didn't wait, she dashed down the hallway to her left trying to get away her eyes filling with tears. She felt like he wanted to kill her, he was terrifying. She leapt over and past Hashirama and ran her eyes burning. She ran through the town cries of her name behind her as she knew the two brothers were chasing after her. She saw Toka and Toka looked behind her. Toka nodded to her an as soon as she passed her Toka stood in the middle of the road and tried to stop the brother. Shizune made it to Hachi's and saw Itama about to leave the building when she grabbed his hand and ran back into the building. She drug Itama into one of the side rooms and hid behind him, the door flew open and a heavily breathing Hashirama and Tobirama stood in the doorway.

"Shizune-chan! Why were you running from Tobirama?"

Shizune saw Hashirama take a step forward but she gripped Itamas sleeve tightly. She guessed he must have known what was wrong, so Itama stepped forward and pushed Hashirama back and placed himself in the doorway.

"She runs from nii-san because he is mean to her. He has hurt her and pushed her, and been mean to her."

"He just wants her to heal him."

"Why should she Aniki! He hurts her, he has made her bleed and he even threatened her! HE has no right to ask her to do anything!"

"I only did what I thought was right Itama."

"No, you did what you wanted, you are a bully! So just leave her alone Tobirama!"

"OR what?"

"I'll make you leave her alone."

"Guys just stop, Tobi, just go, Hachi-san will heal you. Itama, he only wanted her help, she didn't have to run."

"No Aniki, you weren't around when he hurt her. I was, I saw the cuts on her, the bruises when he punched her. He was treating her like a dog!"

Itama felt angry, he was ready to come to blows with his brother who he had never beat in a one-on-one spar before. He would protect Shizune with his life, and would do anything for her.

"Otouto, just calm down, he's gone. I'll make sure he doesn't bother her again, ok?"

"You've tried before Aniki! You've tried that before and he doesn't listen! It's not fair, it's not right, and if he doesn't stop I'll make him stop."

"Itama, stop shouting in the healing hall!"

Shizune knew that voice, it was Hachi-san, he was a good man. She lifted her head from between Itamas shoulder blades and saw him looking at the three of them.

"Now, Hashirama-kun, I know you have training so go, Itama-kun, you need to get home and rest. You can escort Shizune-chan and Momoshi-hime back home with your your Kaa-sans medicine, ok?"

Itama nodded, and he turned around giving Shizune a hug. He turned back around and walked out of the room and saw Tobirama behind Hachi scowling. Itama took the small back from Hachi's hands and took Shizunes right hand in his own. He felt her squeeze his hand and he squeezed hers back, everything would be ok.

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Shizune sat down in Hanas lap holding Momoshi, she smiled and played with Momoshi by wiggling her finger and letting Momoshi grab it and squeeze.

"You're good with Momo-chan, she loves you a lot."

"I love Momo-chan a lot too."

"Do you remember if you had any siblings?"

Shizune took a second to think, her heart tugged but she didn't remember anything. She just couldn't, the doctors still had no reason why she had changed so much but it wasn't just her skin, hair, eyes, and height. Developmentally she was not even a teen yet, they had put her age officially about twelve years. She felt a tug on her hair and she winced.

"I'm sorry Shizune-chan, your hair is just like a rats next sometimes."

"I don't think I had any siblings, but my heart hurts so I think maybe I did but I don't know."

Hana nodded, she kept brushing Shizunes hair but her mind began to drift towards Shizunes words. Her heart hurting could mean she lost or that she wanted, though if she remembered she would have been able to answer quickly. Hana smiled sadly to the poor girl, she couldn't imagine missing her whole life after being sick one night. This girl had wormed her way into Hanas heart and whether she knew it or not, Hana loved her as if she were her own. Hana put the brush down and wrapped her arms around ehr two girls and kissed Shizune's temple.

"I'm sorry about asking you, how about you be my little Shizune?"

"Huh?"

"Not officially, but here, when it's just us and Momoshi, you can be my little Shizu-chan."

Shizune smiled and nodded leaning back into the older womans hug. She closed her eyes and smiled and began to cry happy tears. Since when had she gotten this emotional? She didn't know, but this feeling, of belonging and love, she loved it, and she loved Hana like she was her own mother.

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Shizune sat up, it was the middle of the night and she heard some banging around the house. She stood up still i her night wear. It was a simple white tukata, nothing beneath it or over it, it was a thin material but not thin enough to see any skin. She opened the door to her room and heard the banging again, it was coming from Itamas room. She hurried to the door and opened the room, she saw Itama trying to push a man off of him with two others watching. Shizune was about to scream but one of the man grabbed her by her jaw and flung her into the wall of the room. She sat there dazed but she heard Itamas muffled cries to her, she looked into his eyes and saw his worry. She tried to stand but one of the men punched her and knocked her back to the ground.

"Jugo, stop playing with the brat and let's go."

"What about the girl?"

"Take her too, we could have a little fun with her."

"Alright, alright."

Shizune saw the man wrestling down Itama elbowed him in the side of his head. Itamas eyes rolled back into hsi head and he stopped fighting. The three men turned to her and she saw red eyes glowing in the dark.

"If you fight, this will hurt all the more."

Shizune felt herself slipping from consciousness, the man who had hit her lifted her over his shoulder. Shizune passed out seeing them lift Itama off of the ground and onto their shoulder.

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"SHIZUNE!"

Shizune opened her eyes, she felt so sluggish, so disconnected. She turned her head and saw Itama bound to a tree. There was a fire with two of the men sitting at it and she felt a hand grip her chin and force her to look at him. He crushed his lips against hers and she bit him, as hard as she could.

"DAMNIT, you little BITCH!"

Shizunes head lurched to the side, she felt a crack in her jaw. She cried out in pain before turning back to the man, she saw him undressing and she struggled more, she felt wire around her wrists and ankles.

"This, is going to hurt, a lot, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

Shizune cried.

"ITAMA, ITAMA HELP!"

Itama struggled against the rope and he was met with a punch to his face, he was really getting sick of these Uchiha.

Shizune felt hands removing her yukata, she struggled and tried to twist and turn but she couldn't move. She felt the wire bite down into her wrists as the man pulled the wire tighter. She cried and she tried to fight back but she couldn't move.

"HASHIRAMA, HANA HELP!"

Shizune was screaming at the top of her lungs and then she felt something hot press against her core.

"SHIZUNE!"

She wanted to move but she just couldn't. There was a sound, a whistling before a pop, she heard it twice and two of the men dropped unconscious. Shizune cut her eyes and saw the man who tried to rape her back away, he was saying something but pointed a kunai at her. He didn't get the chance to move, in a blur Hana appeared behind him and her glowing blue hand thrust through his back and out the front of his body her arm coating in the mans blood. She saw Hana dash over to her tears forming in her eyes as she removed the top layer of her kimono, she wrapped Shizune in it and Shizune felt herself being lifted into the air, once again she blacked out.

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"What do you mean?"

"She was sexually assaulted, almost raped."

"Hachi-san, rightnow the only thing that matters is her health, will she be alright?"

"Butsuma-sama, she was almost raped, by multiple men. She will never be ok."

"What do you mean?"

"When, wait, she's waking up."

Shizune shifted her eyes opening, she started to cry and curled in on herself. She felt dirty, she felt unclean, like trash. She felt arms around her but she began to struggle, please, no more, no more hands.

"Butsuma, let her go."

Hana kneeled beside Shizune and lifted the girl into her arms. She cradled the twelve year old in her arms and began to rock her like she would a baby. Shizune stopped struggling and clasped Hanas Kimono and began to sob into her shoulder.

"She is ok to take home for now, but I would make sure that no men come around her any time soon. She will be terrified of them. Also make sure she eats these herbs before she goes to bed at night it will help with the nightmares. Now, go, take her home. She needs to be in a familiar environment, and she needs her family. The only male she may let around her is Itama, and that's only because he was there and she saw he couldn't do anything. She is going to have personality and mood changes, she might get testy with her words, or she might even become as timid as a mouse. Just be patient with her and care for her."

"Thank you Hachi-san."

Hana lifted Shizune into her arms and stood, she nodded to Butsuma leaning forward and kissing him once.

"I'll be at home with her."

"I'll be home later, I am personally going to be interrogating the two that lived."

"Butsuma."

"Hm?"

"Make them suffer for what they did to my little girl."

"I will."

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 **Dark themes were shown, but I don't think I will go too far with anything. This scene was about as dark as I am going to go till later on. I hope you enjoyed the filler, until next time.**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	4. Learning to cope and Meetings

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays**

 **Silence Left Behind: Wednesdays**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene changes will be noted with a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Flashback speech (very seldom)'_

 _Flashback story (very seldom)_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

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Shizune had been crying all night and Itama couldn't take it anymore. She was his best friend, his sister in all but blood, and she was in pain. Itama stood and opened his door, he padded softly down the hallway to Shizunes room and slid the door open. He saw her thrashing around beneath her cover and he became worried, he rushed into the room and kneeled next to her. She was coated in sweat and she was whining and thrashing he needed to stop it. HE grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Shizu-chan."

She didn't respond just thrashed around more, Itama shook her harder enough to forcefully move her. Shizune's eyes shot open and she screamed and was looking around frantically.

"Shizu-chan!"

Shizune saw him and latched onto him bawling her eyes out. Hearing her door fly open and Butsuma entered the room with a kunai she freaked out and scrambled away to the corner. She was having a panic attack, she knew it, but she couldn't stop it. Everything in her mind told her she was fine but seeing Butsuma run in with a kunai reminded her of the man with the kunai pointed at her. It terrified her.

"What in the name of the ancestors is happening in here!"

HAna stormed into the room and saw what was going on, she placed a hand on her husbands and forced him to lower the knife. She made her way past Itama and kneeled in front of Shizune.

"Shizu-chan, come to kaa-san."

Shizune saw Hana and she slowly crawled over to her and hugged her as tight as possible and cried into her chest. Shizune felt safe, not that Itama didnt make her feel safe, but HAna brought a different type of safe. She buried her face into Hanas chest and cried quietly. Hana stood and held Shizune close as she walked out of the room and past her husband.

"She will be sleeping with me for the next few nights."

"I understand Hana. Both you and Shizune-chan get some sleep."

"Haha, will Shizu-chan be ok?"

"Yes, she will musuko, just go back to bed."

Itama stood and watched his mother enter her room holding Shizune like a young child. His heart ached, he wanted to be there for his best friend, but he can't, this is a mothers problem not his. He sighed and began walking back to his room but his fathers hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Itama."

"Yes Chichi?"

"She will be alright, Shizune-chan is a tough girl. It might take a while, but she will be alright."

"I hope you're right Chichi."

Itama walked into his room and slid the door closed exhausted and worried he had no dreams that night, only nightmares.

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Hashirama sighed crouched down at the river, his personal thinking spot, and the place his best friend would come and visit. He was so conflicted, he wanted peace so badly like his friend, but after what the Uchiha did to his sister, he didn't know if he wanted that peace any longer. He needed to talk to Madara, only he would be able to tell him the right thing to do. Speak of the devil, with the sound of rustling bushes his best friend stepped out of the bushes.

"Madara!"

"Oh, Hashirama, you're early."

"I needed to think, something terrible happened a couple days ago and, I just need to talk."

Madara walked across the stream and sat down next to his friend.

"What happened?"

"Uchihas attacked my family."

"What."

"Three men with the Sharingan broke into my home, kidnapped my younger brother and sister. They beat my little brother, and nearly raped my litle sister. She's not even out of her childhood years! They were going to defile her, if it wasn't for kaa-san they would have."

"What'd they look like?"

"They're dead now, kaa-san doesn't let anyone hurt my imouto. My otouto Itama, he is very protective of Shizu-chan, but kaa-san nearly fought Otou-sama over her. Now she is having nightmares and she is hurting and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I want peace, more than anything in the world! After what the Uchiha did to my imouto and otouto, I don't know if I can forgive them anymore. I can forgive killings, stealing, all of that, but torture and rape? Only monsters do that, but I want to believe that they were the only ones. I want to still find peace!"

"Then you need to move forward Hashirama, what happened to your imouto and otouto is unforgiveable, but if you truly want peace, you need to let go."

"How?"

"By forgiving yourself first."

"What do you mean?"

Madara stood and stretched his back, he picked up a stone and eyes the river.

"The same thing happened to me when my Aneki was raped and murdered by Inuzuka. I figured out, I was mad at them yes, but I was mad at myself."

Hashirama's eyes widened as Madara chunked the rock and it skipped across the surface but fell short of the other side.

"What do you mean?"

"I cursed my inability to stop it. She was my Aneki, my only sister, and I was powerless to protect her. So I made a vow, to become strong enough that I would never let my otouto die. I would become so strong everyone would flee from my very presence and there would be no fighting when I arrived. That no one would touch my otouto as long as they knew who he was brothers with. The first step to making sure your imouto and otouto are never hurt again, forgive yourself for not being strong enough to protect them and make yourself strong enough."

Hashirama nodded to Madara, and that was where one dream died and another began, a dream that would lead the two to even greater heights than the legends of old. This was the birth of Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha.

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Shizune was sitting in Hana's room playing with Momoshi. She had a new toy that Butsuma had made in one hand and the other was cradling Momo. She smiled softly when she heard Momo giggle at the toy, reaching out to grab at it with her tiny hands. Shizune looked over to the bed and smiled to Hana who was sitting up and was reading a scroll. Hana patted the space beside her and Shizune stood, Shizune and Momo walked across the room and laid down next to Hana.

"What're you reading haha?"

"It's a manuscript about plants both poisonous and beneficial. I read this so that when I want to find a partcular root or herb that could help I can know exactly where to get it."

"Oh, what are you looking for?"

"An herb that is frequently needed here, and I use to treat my illness. It is called Butterbur."

"I could go look for some for you."

"I couldn't ask you to do that musume."

"I want to haha, I want to help you."

"Ok, well, take this scroll, it has a description of the butterbur, and remember, we need the flower, root, and bulb of the plant so take a kunai or a small shovel to help."

"Yes haha."

Shizune smiled and kissed Hana's cheek before laying Momoshi next to Hana on the bed. She hurried to her room and changed into a yukata that was made of tougher material and tucked the scroll into her obi. She pulled her hair back int a high ponytail and twisted the length of hair into a sort of bun, sticking her pencil through it she nodded in confidence that her hair would stay up. She ran out of her room and slipped her shoes on by the door. She rushed towards the forest wall and removed the scroll. She read over it and read the description over and over again.

"Large heart shaped leaves, long flower with a ton of blooms, and the bulb is like a knot. Got it."

Shizune sped off into the woods and began her search for the Butterbur for Hana.

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Hashirama laughed loudly as Madara had fallen into the rive next to the bank yet again.

"Thirty two minutes, still got you beat Madara!"

"Laugh it up, wait, Hashirama, someones coming up from behind you!"

Hashirama spun around and was about to attack until a white haired girl with silver eyes dressed in a dark blue yukata with a black obi came from the woods.

"Oh, nii-san! I need some help!"

"Shizu-chan, what's the matter?"

"Haha needs Butterbur, but I can't find any. Do you know where some is?"

"I know."

Shizune turned and looked at the boy who was soaked across the river. She smiled and nodded.

"Anything would be helpful."

"On this side of the river and down about a kilometer there is a large group of butterbur, my family uses them for allergies but if you need them you can take some."

"Oh! Thank you!"

"Madara, call me Madara."

"Oh, well thank you Madara-kun! Nii-san, we need to get those for haha."

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming. Sorry Madara, I gotta go. Shizu-chan may have a conniption if I don't follow her."

"That is Shizune?"

"Mhm, she's so cute isn't she! She's my first sister, though my mother just had another daughter."

"I see, well, I will head home, just make sure you do what I told you about."

"Yeah, thanks for the advice Madara, it helped a lot."

"Yeah, just go with your imouto, and remember what I said. Forgiveness starts with you."

Hashirama nodded and watched as Madara vanished into the brush. Hashirama turned to Shizune and smiled to her widely.

"Who was that nii-san?"

"Oh, that was my friend Madara."

"Who exactly is Madara?"

Hashirama turned and there stood Itama, Hashirama swallowed. He could pull the wool over Shizunes eyes, but not Itamas. Itama was too insightful, enough that it even frightened Tobirama.

"I met him here, he is a ninja but not from a clan."

"Are you sure? He looks a hell of a lot like a"

"Dont finish that sentence Itama."

"Or what Aniki?"

"Stop it, nii-san, Ita-kun, no fighting. We need to get the Butterbur to haha."

Itama sighed, Shizune was intelligent, far beyond Tobirama, Hashirama, and even himself but she had not been out there. For what she had in intelligence, she had little common sense.

"Nii-san, be careful around that guy. Something is telling me he is dangerous, like when Chichi is angry bad."

Maybe Itama had spoke too soon.

"It's ok imouto, he's not dangerous, I can beat him in a fight. We spar a lot, it's kind of fun."

"Oh? Could you teach me nii-san? To fight?"

"Aniki can't do that Shizune, you know chichi's rules. Shizu-chan and Momo-chan can't become kunoichi."

"Why not? I want to be able to defend myself."

"It's not that simple Shizu-chan."

"Why not?"

"Aneki, tell her!"

Hashirama sighed, he lifted Shizune into his arms and leapt clean across the river with Itama running a top the water behind them.

"There they are!"

Shizune ran to the bundle of plants that stood easily as tall as Butsuma. The tell tale stalk the flowers were on, the huge elephant ear leaves, this was the butterbur!

"This isn't over Aniki."

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After three weeks Shizune had learned to cope with what happened to her better than before. She frequently went back to walking the village and helping around the whole house. Though it was what happened in the clinic that threw Butsuma for a loop.

 _Butsuma got called to the medical tent and the clan member said it was about Shizune. So knowing it was about one of his girls Butsuma booked it. He ran as fast as he could across the two kilometer clearing to the healing room. He threw the door open and there stood Hachi and Shizune, and one look at Hachi meant there was going to be a big conversation._

' _Shizune-chan, go home and assist Hana with whatever she needs.'_

' _Yes Butsuma-sama.'_

 _Butsuma waited for the sound of the front door closing and he faces Hachi._

' _Why was I called here?'_

' _Shizune has been healing the clan members.'_

' _What?'_

' _Exactly as I said, she is not even discriminating between the civilians and shinobi. She is healing everyone. I want to take her on in the clinic, let her work here instead of being a shinobi.'_

' _I will talk to her about it.'_

' _That is all I ask Butsuma-sama.'_

As Butsuma suspected Shizune turned the offer down, but she still stepped around and healed everyone she could. She was loyal to Hana and would do anything she said and the woman needed help. He was proud of the small white haired girl, she had grown quickly and he was proud of it. She was his daughter, and he planned to make it a formal announcement with Hana.

"Tou-sama!"

Butsuma turned and saw a teary eyed Itama running towards him.

"What is it musuko?"

"It's, it's haha, she fell, and she went unconscious!"

"Butsuma vanished into thin air, he needed to get there quickly.

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 **I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, a little more character development, and the next chapter will be a two year time skip. Just warning you beforehand. Till next time,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	5. Escape and Hounds

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays**

 **Silence Left Behind: Wednesdays**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene changes will be noted with a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Flashback speech (very seldom)'_

 _Flashback story (very seldom)_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

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 **Todays chapter denotes the beginning of the first arc, this arc has been in the works since the poll closed and it marks the beginning of Shizune's path. I do hope you readers will enjoy the twists and turns I will be pulling inside of this arc and will stick around till the end.**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

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 **Silence Left Behind: Arc 1: Silence's Resolve**

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Two years, it had been two years since that dreadful day. It had been late August when Shizune had seen Hana fall, it was Late September before Hana withered. It was December before Hana passed on. Each day was an internal struggle, Shizune had found what was wrong with Hana after being able to spend time doctoring her. It was her own body working against her, her lungs and her heart had become fragile over time and it could be linked back to a single cause. Hana's Albinism, the thing that gave such an otherworldly beauty, marked her for her early grave.

Shizune had ran numerous tests over Momoshi, whom she had become solely in charge of, and came to find no such effects had marred Momoshis body. Shizune felt wrong for saying this, but thank the ancestors it was Hana and not Momoshi. The little child had grown on Shizune even more so after she began to depend on Shizune for everything. Shizune taught Momoshi how to read, how to speak, she helped her how to walk and run, she cared for her when she was sick. Momoshi's first words had been Haha, they had been said to Shizune, and no matter how much she would tell her not to she persisted on calling Shizune her mother. Momoshi's first words were not for her mother or father, but for a girl who cared for her all the days of her life.

The beginning of the first anniversary of Hana's death had been hard on the family, particularly hard on Itama. Since her passing Itama had become hardened he rarely smiled or played with Shizune. He had become angry at the world, full of spite and anger, he even lashed out and had hurt Shizune deeply. She still remembers the feeling of the dagger slipping between her ribs and into her right lung. She was lucky that the wound had not clipped her Aorta with how close it was to the artery. Since that time Itama had withdrawn from her, from Momoshi, and it hurt Shizune more than she would care to mention.

The day after the Itama incident Shizune had become more adamant with wanting to be trained and finally Hashirama relented. He trained her in secret in her bedroom, Momoshi would cackle at their movements. Hashirama had brought her to the river several times under the guise of fetching more Butterbur from the river. Madara had become a good friend of hers as well, even more so when he began to assist Hashirama in teaching her. She had learned the most from him if she were to be honest. Hashirama and Madara labeled her a prodigy, but from where she stood it felt like she was just extending a muscle that had been left curled up for too long. She was aware she had an "edge" when she first was found and she felt it slip away as if falling to sleep. Through her training she managed to awaken this part of her that had been sealed away, and it terrified Hashirama.

Shizunes fighting method was brutal, between her scalpels, poisons, and even her strange manipulations of chakra, she was efficient at taking down anyone she came across. Nearing the end of the second year, nearly to the end of October she managed it, she defeated Madara in single combat. It wasn't a big deal to her and him, due to their age, but it impressed the fourteen year old boy. Shizune was not strong in the slightest, her physical strength being widely outshined by Madara, but she made up for it in speed and flexibility. She moved fast enough to even the field, she could maneuver and contort her body in ways he couldn't defend, in all Shizune Otsutsuki was a monster in combat.

Her life was far from comfortable, though it was an easy life with the Senju. Butsuma started to treat her poorly, verbally abusing her with only Hashirama to be at her side. No one knew why the clan head began to treat her that way they could only turn their heads to what their head decided. Tobirama had not tried to physically harm her since Itama's intervention but that did not stop the way he looked at her, like she was an object that didn't belong. Itama had left her to her demons, to her own destruction and he treated her like shit. After the first year he began to physically abuse her, he would use her as a punching bag for practice and wave it off as training her to defend herself, but the clan knew better. Her only friends were Hashirama, Momoshi, and Touka. Touka had become one of her closest and most trusted loved ones, and it was with Touka that Shizune's plan had come to fruition.

"What do you mean!"

"Touka-chan, I can't stand it any longer."

"You can't just leave! What about Momo-chan and Hashirama-kun!"

"Momo-chan is going with me."

"You can't just take her! She's Butsuma-samas baby."

"He hasn't seen her once in two years, he doesn't care Touka-chan. It would be better to take her and find a place we can live and be happy than stay and wait for Itama-san or Tobirama-san to decide that she would be a good target instead of me."

"Shizu-chan, please, think about this rationally! She is the child of the Senju clan head, she is the legacy of Hana-sama!"

"Touka-chan, I have thought about this. If I wasn't sure of myself I wouldn't even be proposing this, but I have run out of options."

"What makes you say that?"

"Butsuma-sama has been talking about getting rid of me, he is trying to marry me off to some civilian war lord so that the clan can get more weapons. Itama-san has become more brutal in his attacks, and Tobirama-san has been practicing throwing kunai and shuriken at me when I'm holding Momo-chan! I can't stay!"

"What about names, have you thought about the names you would be taking out there?"

"I'll be using my original name, Shizune Otsutsuki, and Momo-chan will just be Momo."

"Where will you go?"

"I was planning on going to Tetsu no Kuni or Uzu no Kuni."

"You should go to Uzu, it's not as far so you can get there quicker and it isn't a military state. You will be safe and so will Momo-chan with the quicker travel."

"Why are you helping me now? you were against me going and taking Momo-chan not even three minutes ago."

"I think you should, you deserve to be happy Shizu-chan, you deserve to be happy so much. So if this will make you happy, then go."

"Thank you Touka-chan."

"No problem Shizu-chan."

Ever since that day Shizune had been preparing, when she would go to collect herbs with Momoshi she would bring materials, weapons, books, whatever she knew she would need. Her shoulder bag was packed full of non-perishable items and now all she needed was to make sure her hip pouch was packed and ready to go. She didn't want to leave and hurt Hashirama or Touka like this, but she needed to go, the sooner the better. As if lady luck had smiled upon her one day after Hashirama had gone to the river, so had Tobirama, Itama, and Butsuma. This was her chance!

Shizune ran as quickly as she could, she picked Momoshi up and kissed the small girl on her forehead. Making her way into the forest after meeting with Touka she began her journey. She knew that something major had happened, she could sense Hashirama and Madara's chakra even from this far away. She made her way to the nook in the old willow that contained her bag and she shouldered it. She new it was now or never, Shizune knew the Senju's set up camp in the northern part of Hi no Kuni, and to make it to Uzu no Kuni she would have to reach the South-Eastern coastline. It was going to be an arduous journey but she was determined to do it, he would go the distance for peace.

"Haha, where we go?"

"Momo-chan, we're going to our home."

"Home?"

"That is right, we are going home, to Uzu."

"Uzu, Uzu with haha"

Shizune saw the grin on Momo's face and nodded, Shizune leapt into the trees and moved as fast as she could, it was going to be critical that she put as much distance as possible in the first few days. If she could make it past the Inuzuka's territory and into the Hyuuga's lands to the south in two days she would be perfect. Doing so would be hard, the Inuzuka were territorial, they didn't stick together in one big family but stayed in packs, groups of families outspread through their territory. The Hyuuga would be easier, they had one large clan compound and many smaller fife's that would encompass their lands. The only hard part of this journey would be slipping through the Inuzuka's lands. Shizune had a plan, if she could make it to the coast she could travel from village to village until she made it to the port city that bordered the land, Akiyo city.

Shizune sighed as she pushed herself to keep moving, she had managed to slip into the Inuzuka's territory and she was starting to get very tired. Running clear across all of the Senju's lands had taken all of her first day and it was painfully obvious that she wouldn't be able to keep going at that pace. Hopefully she would be able to continue on till she could find the main highway. There was one road that led from the capital where the Daimyo resided, all the way through to Akiyo city.

"Mmmm, haha, tired."

"I am too Momo-chan. I'll find us a place to rest for the night."

"Mmmm."

Shizune sighed, she hurried into the forest and tried to find a good place to sleep but she couldn't find one so she decided to do something drastic. Using her chakra scalpel she began to carve out the bottom and inside of one of the enormous trees, a redwood if she remembered correctly. She made a den of sorts for her and Momo. The winter chill was beginning to rear its head and Shizune needed to make sure Momo would be fine so she opened her yukata and placed Momoshi against her bare chest. Shizune closed the yukata and re-tied the obi loosely around Momo and sat back against the inner wall of the tree. Shizune couldn't sleep well, she felt the chill, but at least Momo would be warm, that is all that mattered.

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Barking, she woke up to loud and constant barking.

"In there, there is a girl!"

"What do you mean?"

Shizune's eyes widened, she quickly removed Momo from her Yukata and tied it closed tightly. She held Momo protectively to her chest and dug in her bag pulling out the knife she used to cut herbs and roots with.

"She's awake, hey girl, come out we wont hurt you."

"You dumbass, if you say something like that she might think that's what you meant!"

"Oi, baka, shut the fuck up."

"No you shut the fuck up, teme."

Shizune could see the one that had spoken to her peeking into the hollow she had carved and the grip on her knife tightened. She could see something akin to amusement in his eyes.

"Takato, she's got a knife."

"Well Ren-kun, no shit she would, you're ugly ass is the thing she saw when she woke up."

"My name's Ren Inuzuka, I'm sorry if we scared you, we just smelled somebody and saw this hole made in the tree. IF you come out we can help you."

Shizune narrowed her eyes and heard Momo's whine.

"I don't need help, just leave me and my daughter alone."

"Daughter? You look like you're barely even a teenager!"

"I'm fifteen, please leave."

"Can't, you're in our territory, either you come with us to camp or we follow you till you leave our territory. Where are you heading?"

"We are heading to Akiyo city. I want to head back to my home in Uzu."

"Uzu? You're an Uzumaki?"

"No but my family is from there."

"Ahh, well if you come out quick, me and Takato-chan will walk you there. Company is good on the road."

"I don't trust men."

"Oi, just because my name is Takato doesn't mean I'm a man!"

"Huh?"

"Let me explain, Takato-chan is my wife, we're on our way to the southern end of our lands to meet with Takato-chan's family. So what do you say, you and your musume want some company?"

Shizune cursed in her head, this was what she was trying to avoid, but it would be better to have company than not. Shizune put her knife back into her bag and shouldered it. She lifted Momo onto her hip and exited the hovel she carved and saw the two.

In the light Takato was clearly female. She had amber eyes, long dark hair tied into a low hung ponytail. She was a thing of beauty, she was petite, a more angular face, full lips, and her eyes screamed deadly grace. She looked young too, not too much older than Shizune. Takato's partner was a hound that stood up to Shizune's hip with dark golden fur, and what seemed a ever constant smile.

Ren was a feminine male but even Shizune could tell he was a man. He was tall, almost ridiculously so, much taller than Butsuma. He had long hair that was also tied in a low hung ponytail. If it werent for what the man said he would almost call the two siblings with how much alike they looked. His partner was humongous, easily reached midway up the mans chest. The hound was a mix of brown, white, and black with thick fur.

"So, what's your name?"

"Shizune Otsutsuki, and this is Momo my daughter."

"Haha! Puppies!"

Shizune smiled and heard Momo giggling, she was reaching out to Takato's hound and the hound ambled up to Momo. Sniffing the babe as if she was an interesting piece of food Takato's hound licked Momo's cheek and further incited cackling giggles.

"Wow, Oboru never does that, you are one special little lady Momo-chan."

Shizune shifted Momo in her arms and began walking with the two Inuzuka trailing behind her. They had finally hit the highway, it was at least ten meters across and was a tossed dirt road lined with bricks.

"Looks like we've got a day or so to travel, know any good stories Shizune-san?"

"I have one, though it is Momo-chans favorite."

Shizune smiled and began to regale the Inuzuka with the story of Kaze and Mizu the lover spirits split by their ever hovering guardian Hi.

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Shizune giggled, Momo was splashing and playing in the stream that Takato, Shizune, and Momo had gone into to bathe.

"Wow, Shizune-san, you are gorgeous!"

"Huh?"

"You're skin, there are no blemishes, no lines! You are so gorgeous!"

Shizune blushed but she smiled to Takato and nodded her head to the woman. Takato was covered in nasty scars so it is no wonder she was commenting on Shizune's near flawless skin.

"That scare, beneath your right breast, where's that from?"

"Momo-chans father. He was a kind man till the loss of his mother hurt him dearly. One night when I went to see if he wished to talk about the loss he pulled a dagger and stabbed me in the chest. It was then that I knew I needed to return home with Momo-chan."

"I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories. I suppose she got her eyes from him?"

"Oh, no, she has albinism. Our family has white hair naturally after a small time but her pale skin, red eyes, and white hair are different from mine."

"I see, What was her father's name?"

"Kazuhito, he was a guardsman for a merchant."

"I see, I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories."

"Ah, it's no problem Takato-san, just a hurdle to climb. Momo-chan deserves a good life and I am determined to give her everything she deserves."

"Haha! Look, it's so pretty!"

Shizune saw the smooth stone Momo had in her hand and smiled giving Momo a nod.

"It's gorgeous Momo-chan."

"Gor, gorgeges. Gorgegeous."

"Gorgeous."

"Gor, gorgeous!"

"Ah, well done Momo-chan!"

"Thank you Taka-san!"

Shizune giggled at Momo and the three girls got dressed from their bath and returned to the small clearing that camp was set up in. Rin and Takato kissed and shared a few words but Shizune wasn't too concerned with that, Momo was shivering.

"Come to kaa-san musume."

Shizune opened her arms and Momo curled into her lap, Shizunes arms wrapping around her small frame. Shizune smiled and kissed the top of Momo's head and scooted closer to the fire to absorb some of the warmth. Momo yawned and Shizune knew it was getting to be evening and almost time for dinner.

"Ah, Shizune-san, tomorrow around noon we'll be coming to a fork in the road. You will need to take the left path to get to Akiyo, we're going to be heading straight towards Tanzaku."

"I see, well I thank you for sticking with us for the day, your presence has been refreshing."

"No problem Shizune-chan, Ren-kun and I like having traveling buddies. It makes it all the better ya know?"

"I do, thank you for your hospitality."

Ren smiled and nodded to her taking his loves hand in his own, everything was going to be perfect.

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The early morning was nice, a light fog had covered the clearing and the road and breakfast was filling. Ren had managed to hunt a rabbit and with the small pot of rice that Shizune had cooked everyone had full stomachs. Shizune was starting to walk when Ren stopped her.

"Shizune-san, stop."

"What's wrong?"

"Three men, hidden in the bushes a few hundred feet away. Let us take care of it first, ok?"

Shizune nodded, any time she could spend not showing off her skills was better for her. She watched Ren and Takato vanish into the brush and in less than a few seconds she heard the sounds of a fight breaking out. A feminine cry made Shizune's heart knot, when Ren came out of the woods holding a bleeding Takato Shizune rushed towards them. Ren laid Takato on the ground and Shizune could see the wound, it was to her side and it seemed deep. Shizune sat Momo on the ground and sat next to Takato's side.

"She'll be ok, please, just dont worry I can help."

"She was stabbed in her side, she's going to bleed out."

"Just watch."

Shizune's hands glowed green and she rested them over the wound, she probed at the wound to learn how best to heal Takato. It took an hour, an hour of nerves, of the cold, of hope, Takato was healed.

"You're a kunoichi!"

"No, I'm not, I know medical ninjutsu but that is it. My husband was the fighter."

"Thank you Shizune-chan."

Shizune nodded, she took her canteen and poured a small bit of water over Takato's reddened skin and her own hands. Using a cloth from her bag Shizune wiped her hands and the blood from Takato's side.

"She's going to be sore for the next few days but she will be fine. Just make sure she relaxes."

"Thank you."

Shizune nodded and shouldered her bag, she lifted Momo into her arms and kissed the young girls cheek. Today was th mark of the next step in their life.

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Shizune stood in the middle of the fork of the road, she stood across from the couple of Inuzuka she had spent the past day with.

"Just be careful, there were reports of the Hyuuga having a skirmish with the Aburame clan recently. Try to stick to the road and when you come across the Hyuuga compound please stay for a couple of days. You both could use the rest."

"We will, thank you both Ren-kun, Takato-chan, for spending time with us on this journey."

"Of course! Also, we'll have to find a way to get in contact with you because we want you to come and visit for a while. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure to invite you both to Uzu to come and see us once we are settled in."

"We look forward to it."

Shizune smiled to the two and turned to walk down the road, she felt refreshed. She had helped someone and it always made the day feel right when she could save a life.

"What do you think Momo-chan, Hyuuga compound for some supplies and rest?"

"Yeah!"

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 **The first in a set of four chapters for this arc. I do hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and this is not the last we will be seeing of Ren and Takato. Till Next time,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	6. Dinner with the Lord

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays**

 **Silence Left Behind: Wednesdays**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Glossary: Scene changes will be noted with a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Flashback speech (very seldom)'_

 _Flashback story (very seldom)_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

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 **I apologise for the late posting, finishing paperwork for my scholarships at the school and preparing for school has been hellacious. Though if my schedule is to believed I may not even loose any time for postings. This means I should stay on the same Sunday - Wednesday schedule. Anyways, I feel I should clear this up, this story will be in 10 arcs or more depending on how the story feels, there will be periods between arcs of two or three fillers that have no purpose but to tell little stories. I look forward to any and all reviews or responses that may or may not happen. Till the epilogue,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

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 **Silence Left Behind: Arc 1: Silence's Resolve**

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Shizune loved this road, it had been two days since they had split from Takato and Rin and this road was becoming even more beautiful.

"Haha, so pretty!"

Shizune nodded and kissed Momo's cheek. The babe had hit the nail on the head, They must have been on a tall hill because before them they could see for miles. The winding path they had walked through forest and plains, they could see the trail of brown noting the path that had been taking and it was indeed, pretty. Shizune wished she could take in this sight forever, the cool morning air lapped at the base of her yukata and the mist covered the forest in an unearthly glow and beauty. Shizune loved mornings, the untouched beauty of the night flourished and was untainted by human hands.

Shizune turned, as much as she wanted to stay and take in the view she needed to continue moving. It was another few hours to the Hyuuga Compound and to avoid suspicion they had to move at a civilians pace. To be honest Shizune liked to take things slower, it allowed her to take in the beauty of her surroundings, to become enraptured in her non-biological daughter, in nature, and in herself.

Shizune heard rustling in the trees and when she turned to look at it she fell to her rear with a surprised yelp. She wrapped her arms protectively around Momo as she felt the blood from the kunai wound on her cheek start to seep down her neck. Shizune tried to stand but a man came behind her and grabbed her in a choke hold, she tried to fight against him but the pressure on her neck started to make her black out.

"Haha! No Haha!"

Shizune felt the men wrestle Momo from her grasp and she began to sob. She tried to fight back but the mans voice rattled through her ear and filled her with ice.

"You didn't think we would let you take Butsuma-samas daughter without a fight, would you?"

Shizune growled but the male stepped back making Shizune lose her footing, she was choking.

"HAHA! NO! STOP HURTING HAHA!"

The air filled with strange whistling and she felt three thunks against her back, men and women descended from the trees. The man holding Momo dropped her like a bag of potatoes and she hit the ground with a cry of pain. Shizune wrestled the arm from around her throat and she unceremoniously scrambled to Momo pulling her into her arms. She held Momos face gently to her chest Momo hugging her tightly Shizune cried, not for the death around her but the fact that Momo had nearly been taken from her.

The fighting had stopped, Shizune opened her tear stained silver eyes and looked around. She saw over a dozen men and women standing around the area picking the weapons from the dead Senju ninja. A boy a little bit older than her walked towards her and helped her stand. She saw none of these ninja had been hurt but the boy who helped her, his eyes cause her throat to hitch.

"Are you ok? You aren't hurt?"

Shizune tried to speak but she couldn't, to hurt too badly. She raised a hand to place around her throat and she cried out in pain. Definitely some severe bruising, if she had not been so resilient in body her neck probably would have been broken. Shizune felt the man gently take her hand in his and he bowed softly.

"I am Hyuuga Haruto, you may not be able to speak but does your daughter?"

"Haha said no talk to strangers."

"That is good advice but you see, we are not strangers. We share the same eyes little one."

Shizune's fears had been confirmed her eyes silver like the light of the moon, were Hyuugas eyes. She felt an ache steam up from her chest and she smiled to Momo and motioned that she could continue to speak.

"Haha name Shizu Otututuko, my name Momo Otututuko."

Shizune giggled and winced from the action, Momo still could not say their name correctly. She took Haruto's hand in her own and turned it over palm to the sky, she used her finger to trace letters on his hand.

'O-t-s-u-t-s-u-k-i'

"Otsutsuki?"

Shizune nodded and looked around the clearing, the ninja began to leave one by one until it left her, Momo, Haruto, and a girl young enough to be not even in her teens.

"Well, if you accept, I am extending an invitation to the Hyuuga Compound for you to heal and rest. If you accept I will take you and my younger sister Hana will take your daughter. We're only a half hour travel through the trees."

Shizune nodded and kissed Momos forehead and gently handed her to the now named Hana. Shizune turned to Haruto but made a sound like a muffed mep when he slipped a hand behind her knees and her shoulders and lifted her into the air. She blushed, no one had ever held her like this and had good intentions, it was strange but a welcoming presence.

"Hang on Shizu-san, we will be there soon."

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Shizune sighed as she was finally let down, the walls to the compound were huge, larger than any man made construct she had ever seen.

"Come, let us find you and your daughter a room to stay in."

Shizune nodded and took Momo from Hanas arms, she smiled when Momo yawned and laid her head on Shizunes shoulder. She started following Haruto around, honestly the compound was gorgeous. The buildings looked as if made of marble and topped with a dark wood she had never seen before, the regal carvings that spoke of heritage made her look on in awe. She heard chuckling and looked forward to see Haruto laughing at her response to the compound.

"It is a thing of beauty isn't it?"

Shizune nodded with a smile on her face and kept pace with the male. This was like a city in and of itself! It had bakers shops, clothing stores, playgrounds, schools, this place made the Senju compound look like a travesty! The trio stopped their walking as Haruto, Shizune, and Momo all stood in front of the largest building of all, it seemed like a fort but the open door and the interior looked so warm and inviting.

"Welcome to my home, this is the Main Clan household. My father should be in his study and I have to attend to him for my squads report, would you mind waiting for me?"

Shizune shook her head and nodded forward for him to continue walking. She was really starting to hate this injury, it made even simple communications like a nod painful. At least Momo wasn't digging into the crook of her neck like she usually did. Speak of the devil, Shizune had to wince in pain as Momo nuzzled the crook of her neck and Shizune felt tears well into her eyes. Haruto seemed to take notice and he helped Shizune adjust Momo to her other shoulder.

"Better?"

Shizune smiled to him and nodded gently, the duo continued. The building was obscenely comfortable, it was warm and it casted a dull orange glow from such a warmth. The flooring was wooden but it seemed soft and gently, not rough like the oak that the Senju's compound used. There were decorations, photos, paintings, pots of plants, and books everywhere. It seemed like one large and close hom. She loved it, she loved this place.

"Here we are, would you mind waiting out here? I won't be a minute, I just need to report to father about the mission."

Shizune nodded, annoyingly but it was kind of endearing he helped her sit in the chair beside the door. It was comfortable, plush and well cushioned. The fur was soft and it tickled the back of her neck but it was the most comfortable thing she had been on in days. It didn't take long for her to pass out, maybe a minute or two but she did. Her dreams were riddled with memories of her time at the Senju compound, of Hana and the kind Itama she had come to adore. She was woken up by a gentle shake of her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Haruto smiling down to her a gentle look on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you but father wants you to get into a room quickly and heal. He would like to talk about why the Senju attacked you."

Shizune watched him stick his hand out in front of her, she took it and he helped her stand. She didn't realize how sore she was till she stood. Something had happened to her right leg, her left shoulder felt like fire, and her neck hurt even more than before. She stumbled but Haruto's arms on her shoulders steadied her and he sighed.

"The adrenaline has worn off, your leg injury is acting up."

Shizune raised her eyebrow.

"You have a hairline fracture on your ankle, it'll take some time to heal, want me to help?"

Shizune just leaned against his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and place his free hand on the shoulder touching his chest. It was slow and filled with a lot of pain for Shizune but they managed to walk through hallway after hallway before reaching a room. Haruto slid the door open and there was a woman with a white headband fluffing a pillow on a futon, in fact there were two one right next to the other. Shizune raised an eyebrow and looked to him.

"One for you, one for Momo, you are going to be in ten kinds of pain once you begin healing. It might be a good idea to keep her separate for a few nights till you can stomach resting on your back."

Shizune smiled and walked into the room with her limp, she kneeled onto the floor next to one of the futons and the woman who had just finished fluffing the pillow pulled the covers back. Shizune slowly laid the sleeping Momo on the futon and took the cover from the maids hands. She leaned down and kissed Momo's forehead gently and she struggled to stand. Haruto's arms helped her to rise and she thanked him with a nod. He helped Shizune across the room and helped her lay down on the futon slowly, she laid on her right side, her leg protested but her shoulder thanked her.

"Just rest, tomorrow the healer will be here and he can tend to your wounds."

Shizune nodded and thanked Haruto and the maid before laying her head down on the futon and letting sleep take her.

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Shizune was awoken to the feeling of hands on her leg. Her instincts kicked in and she sat up quickly her body contorting as she folded forwards and had a hand around the strange mans throat the other held back as she was about to channel a chakra scalpel.

"Haha!"

Shizune blinked rapidly and saw the old man she had by the throat and the pain hit her, she screamed in agony as she fell to the side grabbing at her shoulder she dug her face on the ground gritting her teeth.

"Damnit, someone help her back down! I need to finish healing!"

Shizune felt more hands grab her shoulders and guide her back to her futon and she looked up feeling sweat coating her forehead. Haruto and a woman with some beige wrapping on her head looked down at her. Appearing between them was Momo who looked like she had been crying, she tried to reach a hand up to her but she had to silence another cry.

"Please, Shizu-san, relax. You were hit with a kunai in your shoulder that had a poison. It has been running rampant in you all night and you need to calm down to let the doctor treat you."

Shizune felt the burning, the itching in her veins. Shizune ran an internal diagnostic with her chakra and could feel her kidneys and liver being damaged, the poison had settled in those areas and was making its way to her lungs. The doctor was trying to treat her for a neurotoxin or a hemotoxin but it was worse than that. It targeted her organ tissues and her blood, though the doctor kept it from spreading too far it was still in her liver and kidneys. Shizune forced her hands to move and placed them over her abdomen and her hands lit a glowing green.

"She's a medic? Haruto, why did you not tell us!"

"I did not know, she did not try and heal herself before, why now?"

"I don't know, I have healed her shoulder and leg. Shizu-san, if you can understand me, you work on your organs, I will heal your throat."

Shizune winced as she felt the intruding chakra in her throat but it soothed the aching pain slowly. She used her own chakra to pull at and try to pin down the poison, it was working so far but it was painstakingly slow. Her throat had long been done, by hours as she still worked at her organs. She looked up at the doctor and motioned for Haruto to leave.

"Take, Momo-chan, leave for now."

"Haha! No, dont want to!"

"I'll be fine, please."

Shizune watched Haruto lift Momo into his arms and leave the room her crying for her mother echoed through the hallway. Shizune opened untied her obi and opened her yukata, the man was a doctor so she knew he would be focused on the job.

"I can contain the poison and remove it but I need your help, make three two inch incisions, one above my liver the other two over each kidney."

Shizune felt the mans chakra slice her skin and she bit her lip, she placed her hands over one kidney and her liver as she bundled the poison and screamed as she pulled it through the lining of her organs. The green balls contained a small amount of clear fluid as she held her hands over the side of her opened yukata. She repeated the painful process as the other doctor began working on closing her incisions. Shizune let the remaining fluid fall onto the open side of her yukata and she panted heavily, this was the worst she has ever felt in her life.

"I will take my leave, Fuma, tend to my patient until I return."

Shizune felt the man leave the room, she looked up and saw the woman with the beige covered head again. Shizune tried to sit up but couldn't her muscles in her abdomen ached from her damaged organs. Till she regained her chakra she would have to deal with the pain. Shizune sat up with the help of Fuma who removed Shizune's yukata and retrieved a kimono Shizune had never seen before. It was beautiful, mainly white with a faded beige trim, the obi was beige as well and the exotic looking flowers that seemed to flow down the Kimono were stunning to look at.

Fuma was jealous, she had never seen such a gorgeous woman before. This woman was young, her skin seemed to be made of alabaster and her hair of silk. Her Byakugan had no tint to it like most had, it was a stunning silver like the moon. The woman had a generous bust for her age and hips that seemed meant for birthing. She didn't see any blemish or mark on the womans body except for a single dull pink scar beneath her right breast. Shizune seemed perfect physically, from her looks to her muscular structure and her awareness. As she bathed Shizune with a rag wiping the layer of sweat from her body the woman didn't seem to mind but Fuma noted the womans skin was unearthly soft and warm. This woman would have been worth her weight multiplied by a thousand in gold, a specimen such as her wouldn't even be given to a lord of their Fiefs. Whoever gained this womans eye, they would be truly blessed on earth.

Shizune shuffled a bit, she felt a bit perturbed by Fumas staring, she knew she was pretty, but this was getting to be awkward.

"I need to get dressed, will you help me put the kimono on Fuma-san?"

Shizune smiled as Fuma helped her stand to her feet, Shizune was shaky but she managed. Fuma helped her with the first layer, slipping the white Kimono on, tying a thin obi around her mid section. Shizune winced from the pain but she had to bear with it, the Hyuuga wanted her dolled up for some reason and she would oblige, being a guest in their clan heads home after all. The second and final layer was more comfortable, a loose covering with the floral pattern tied closed and around her waist by the beige thick obi. She moved her arms and adjusted to the weight and smiled to Fuma. Fuma however, had other plans, she pulled Shizune to the small vanity in the room and sat her down on the stool.

Fuma smiled, at least Shizune's makeup would be easy enough. With her natural beauty she would just compliment it instead of cover anything that would need it. She used eyeliner and mascara to heighten the look of Shizune's eyes almost framing them as a picture of the moon itself. The lipstick was a simple faded red meant to accentuate the color of Shizunes lips. It made them seem more alive, plump, they seemed to compliment her face more than draw attention to them. Fuma loved Shizune's hair, she spent over an hour just brushing and detangling Shizune's hair. Even if it had not been washed it was still smooth as silk, Fuma could get lost in the feeling forever if she allowed herself to. Deciding that Shizune's hair would look very nicely in a simple style she combed Shizune's hair and tied a ribbon near the end to keep it from fraying out. The small beige ribbon complimented the outfit wonderfully and with a step back Shizune was ready.

"I apologize Shizu-san for the time, but I had to get you ready for tonight."

"My name is Shizune Otsutsuki, I realized I had not been able to tell anyone appropriately. What do you mean ready for tonight?"

"The lord and his lady are dining with yourself, your child, and Haruto-sama. When you are ready I will lead the way."

Shizune walked to her bag and squatted down. She retrieved the one thing she managed to keep that was Hana's, a simple necklace. It was an opal suspended by a length of leather that made of the necklace. She slipped it on and tucked it into the Kimono and out of sight. Standing slowly she nodded to Fuma and began to follow the woman. She couldn't help but see the stares she was getting, she didn't look that bad did she?

"Here we are, now remember, when the Lord and Lady speak you do not interrupt, you listen and respond with yes my lord, and yes my lady or no my lord, and no my lady. Never reference them by their names, and their son call him the young lord, never by his name."

"Of course, it is common etiquette, I am not from the wilds."

"I apologise Shizune-san, I meant no disrespect."

"None taken, just remember, assumptions can lead to war."

Fuma slid the door open and Shizune walked into the room. There was a clatter and running feet towards her.

"Okaa-san!"

Shizune smiled and felt Momo's body hug her around her legs, she squatted down and hugged Momo tightly and kissed her forehead. A cough brought her attention back to the room and she saw a regal looking older man and a gorgeous woman sitting next to him. To his right was Haruto and across the large table from him were two seats. Shizune stood and took Momo's hand in her own and walked to the chair taking a seat.

"My son tells me you were set upon by Senju. May I ask why?"

"I do not know my lord, my daughter and I were on our way to finding a new home when the Senju came upon us. They said my daughter belonged to their lord and that I would die for taking her."

"Is she?"

"My lord?"

"Is she Butsuma's child?"

"No my lord, she is of my flesh and my old husbands."

"Who was your old husband?"

"He was a guardsman for a caravan who traveled between Akiyo City and Fumushiro in Kaze no Kuni. His name is Kazuhito, no clan name."

"I see, where is this man, why would he let a woman like you run around without a guard?"

"My husband became tortured by inner demons when his mother passed from illness. The night I made the decision to protect our daughter was the knife I went to talk with him about the caravan and he slid a blade between my ribs."

"That is unfortunate, my condolences."

"Thank you my lord."

"I will be blunt Otsutsuki-san, you have our eyes. The Byakugan is a close guarded ability of ours and I am over run with questions, may you tell me how you came by them?"

"I was born with them my lord."

"Oh?"

"Yes my lord, my mother had the same eyes as I do, though she was an amnesiac. My fathers family found her on the border of the Senju's territory and took her in. She and my father fell in love not long afterwards."

"The edge of the Senju lands?"

"Indeed, near Saku province."

"I see, thank you for the information, I will have my clansmen dig into our mission files to find out who your lineage could belong to."

"Thank you my lord."

"What was your fathers name?"

"Homura, Homura Otsutsuki."

"A strong name, he sounds like a wise man."

"Beyond words my lord."

"Very well, let us eat and we shall talk of happier times."

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Dinner had been delicious, a roasted boar smoked and baked with hickory wood. The smell was heavenly and the meat seemed to melt in your mouth. The vegetables cooked in the beast's fat were wonderfully flavored, it was perhaps the best meal she or Momo had ever had. Once dinner had ended Momo had left with Fuma to go to bed leaving the four adults in the room alone.

"Shizune-san was it?"

"Yes my lady."

"You have our eyes, so you are of our blood. What would be your opinion on you staying here permanently?"

Shizune blinked rapidly, she had never considered it. She thought about her options, the Uzumaki were the best bet for her and Momo. Far enough away that Butsumas reach would never touch them, but close enough that when he would die and Hashirama would take over they would be safe. They would be well taken care of if they had the ability to contribute to the clan and would be safe from prying eyes due to Uzumaki secrecy.

On the other hand this new option was equally as tantalizing. The Hyuuga had means to keep her and Momo through Shizune's eyes. There was nowhere safer on this continent than the Hyuuga Compound, that is what Hana had told her. This place would treat her as family, Momo would be safe, and Butsuma could not sway royalty and he was not fool enough to attack the Hyuugas. Though the Senju had the numbers, the Hyuuga had quality, not even Butsuma dared fight an adult of the Hyuuga clan. They were legendary in their strength and intelligence, their reach covered the continent.

Shizune knew which she would have to do, and for Momo it would be easier, for Shizune not as much.

"I would be honored to reside here so long as Momo-chan is safe, that is all that matters to me."

"Good, my wife and son will make the preparations, your room will be a permanent residence until you go through the bloodline test."

"Test?"

"It is a simple seal, a drop of your blood and it will tell us the purity of your families blood, being a half breed would hinder the results, your daughter might not even show on the scale. If your blood does prove pure enough you will reside in the room you are in permanently, if not you will be moved to the branch families dwelling and be sealed with a seal to destroy your eyes on death for the safety of the clan."

"Yes my lord, thank you my lord."

"My wife and I will retire for the night, do not dwell for long. Good night my Haruto-kun, Shizune-san."

"Goodnight my lord."

"Night pops."

Shizune let a breath she had been holding in out as she leaned forward placing her head in her hands.

"What's wrong Shizu-san?"

"Your father is very intense."

"He is, but he cares for his people."

"I only wish Momo-chan had someone like that in her life. To be honest I am tired, I love Momo-chan with my entire soul to the point it aches, but it is hard being the role of both parents."

"I'm sorry you have to go through that, your former husband should have considered hat it cost him when he hurt you. Do not fret though, you have a new home, you dwell in a place that treasures family and the bonds it brings."

"Thank you Haruto-san."

"Please, Haruto-kun to you."

"Then call me Shizune-chan."

"Very well Shizune-chan, tell me more about yourself, your home, any friends?"

"I had a best friend, his name was Amati, his brother Maru, and their cousin Kouta-chan. Amati became cold not too long after the fall of my past husbands mother. Maru had to take on duties that she had taken care of in the small village and I never got to see him that often. Kouta-chan was my only friend left, she helped me escape before leaving herself. If Kazuhito knew she had helped, he would kill her without hesitation."

"Kazuhito sounds like a cruel man, how did you two become married?"

"Kazuhito was once kind, he was goofy, he lifted my spirits and I came to love him for it. When he found out I was pregnant he shouted from the rooftops, and everywhere he went he spread the news he was becoming a father. When Momo-chan was born he became the perfect father, he helped me through so much, and it seemed the depths of his heart never ended. We wed after Momo was born as tradition dictates."

"You laid with him before marriage?"

"It was a night we lost ourselves in. I had gone to the caravan to bring them dinner when we were set upon by Uchiha. They killed many women, men, and children from the caravan before Kazuhito slaughtered them. I was wounded but healing myself when he found me. He brought me home and in our fear and grief we found comfort in each other. It was a night I regret, but I do not regret the consequences, without that mistake, my Momo-chan would not be around today."

"I see, well as unorthodox and scandalous as it is, I am glad you have Momo-chan."

"She is the light in my life, the only good thing left I have."

"Well, we hope to rectify that."

"Thank you Haruto-kun."

"No problem, now tell me more, I want to hear about your family."

And so Shizune regaled him in the only tale she could remember of her family, her tou-san, oji-san, kaa-san, oba-chan, and obaa-sama. The story of Hagoromo and Hamuras rise against their mother, heavily edited of course, she knew he would find her crazy if she said her grandmother was the Usagi-kami.

The two parted after an hour of storytelling and Haruto bid her good night. Shizune was led back to her room and as she stepped into the room lit by four large candles she was helped from her Kimono by Fuma. Thanking the woman Shizune cleaned her face with the washcloth and basin of water, she pulled out one of her simple sleeping yukata and climbed under Momo's covers. Waking Momo momentarily so that toddler could cuddle up to Shizune's chest.

"Haha, I like it here, they're nice."

"They are musume, they are very nice. We're going to be staying here instead of Uzu, is that ok?"

"Mmm, okidokie Haha, okidokie."

Shizune kissed Momo's forehead and she heard Fuma blow the candles of the room out leaving the room to be bathed in the moonlight from the singular window. Shizune smiled as she looked to the moon, ever since her father spoke to her one night and imparted her with certain knowledge she always looked to the moon. According to the story she was told Hamura stayed on the moon with the rest of his family, though some stayed behind and became the Kaguya clan and Hyuuga clans, she always wondered what it would be like to live amongst those who were of her own blood. Shizune closed her eyes feeling a strange warmth from the moons light and she could have sworn it felt like their were lips on her own forehead as she slipped into sleep.

' _Good night musume.'_

"Goodnight, Chichi-ue."

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 **Well? What do you think of this chapter, this is the first of a few taking place with the Hyuuga clan. I am trying to flesh out Shizune and her cover story well enough so it flows. Eventually the truth will be found out, sooner or later, our lies catch up to us, but for Shizune's foreseeable future that won't happen. Till next time,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


	7. Pardon me?

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 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS SUCCESSORS IN ANY SHAPE OR CAPACITY. I ONLY OWN MY FICTITIOUS OC'S.**

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 **Upload Schedule:**

 **Flaming Saga: Sundays (2nd and 4th)**

 **Silence Left Behind: Sundays (1st and 3rd)**

 **Due to unexpected complications with my Semester I will have less time than previously thought, I will be changing the posting schedule to Sundays for both. Silence Left Behind will be the first and third sundays of the month and Flaming Saga will be the second and fourth.**

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 **Glossary: Scene changes will be noted with a line of X's**

"Speech"

' _Flashback speech (very seldom)'_

 _Flashback story (very seldom)_

Jutsus shall be rendered in Japanese, I will also try to incorporate the usual suffixes attached to names, -chan, -kun, senpai, -shishou, etc.

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 **I apologise for the delay in posting, my school is hitting hard and fast. I have not had time to prepare or plan out chapters like I normally would so I will just be churning out chapters as I can. I will still try and uphold the Sunday Wednesday schedule but it might be turning to a double post on Sunday or a Saturday and Sunday post. I will also be in the stage band for singing and I am one of the section leaders for our large choir so I have to attend to that business as well. I hope to keep the same schedule but so far it seems like I will be unable to.**

 **Till the epilogue,**

 **~Ardent Chronicler**

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 **Silence Left Behind: Arc 1: Silence's Resolve**

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Shizune had to say, it was peaceful around the Hyuuga compound. After living with these people for only three months she had her eyes opened to how things worked around here. There were only two classes of people, the Branch Family and the Main family. The Branch family were those who were those whose families did not have Hyuuga blood introduced to their line after two generations. These were mostly bastards, servants, vassals, etc. She couldn't say she approved but she was happy here. When she had been tested her blood had been so pure it caused the seal to stop functioning, and since then she lived in the room beside Hana Hyuuga the princess of the Hyuuga.

"Haha!"

Shizune turned around in her chair and held her arms out. She caught the flying white haired child in her arms and giggled. Kissing the top of Momo's head she held the small girl in her lap.

"What has you so excited my little one?"

"I made a friend Haha! Her name is Kimoto, she is super nice and fun."

"Oh? Do you want her to com and visit?"

"Yes Haha, I want her to come play!"

Shizune smiled and stood holding Momo to her hip. Momo had been a little bundle of joy since they had settled. Surrounded by children her age and people who treated her like a child had been good for her. Momo was getting better at speaking clearly as well, she could hold a conversation completely and she even knew how to properly say her name.

Shizune left her room, closing the door behind her, and stepped out into the hallway. She smiled at the waving Haruto who was leaving his sisters room with said sister in tow. Shizune began to navigate the never ending maze that the Hyuuga Main Household seemed to be. The winding hallways were as always, warmly lit and seemed to permeate the scent of sandalwood. To Shizune it was homely, welcoming, a warm home like a hearth in the dead of winter. Shizune slid the main door open and closed it behind her, the chill bit at her nose and her ears. It was early November, the 18th, to others this was just another day, but to her it was her birthday.

"Haha?"

"Hm?"

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you, musume."

Shizune nuzzled the crown of the small girls head and planted a soft kiss. Shizune adjusted Momo on her hip and began to walk, no clear destination in mind, just wandering to burn time. She thought of days passed and days to come. Those she missed and to those she would hope to meet, she was no fool, she knew the Hyuuga were going to make a play for marriage after the result of her lineage. Her only hope was to be able to avoid a marital contract or to somehow make herself seem undesirable. For now her world only revolved around Momo, and that is how she hoped it would stay, at least until she was old enough.

Haruto was kind to her and Momo, he watched after her when Shizune was called away, and he played with her even when Shizune was there. She had a feeling of an ulterior motive, but for now she was content on having a good male figure for Momo in her life. Shizune knew of Harutos nature by now, he was the kind and caring type but every move, every word, had a meaning or drive behind it. For now she had guessed his only motive was becoming close to Momo so that she relied and wanted him, therefore Shizune would be entitled to stay due to her daughters wants and needs.

Haruto's parents were another story, his father, the Lord Hyuuga, was a stern and cold man only warming around his children. She knew that his invitations to dinner and attending scholars to Momo was a play to keep Shizune there. Haruto's mother was another story entirely, the woman reeked of schemes and plots however, even with Shizunes adept knowledge on manipulations and manipulators, the woman was nigh impossible to read. The woman had a poker mask that would make Hashirama proud, but behind those eyes lay a beast and one she was not so sure the intentions of.

Since her coming to the Hyuuga she had become close friends to the woman assigned to care for her and momo. Fuma was a kind but stern woman, late in her years with children whom bore their own. Fuma liked to play dress up with Momo finding color schemes or patterns that brought out the young girls beauty. For Shizune she was a close friend and confidant, and not too long after their first night of being together Fuma had realized that Shizune was young, younger than she spoke of. She realized it after Momo had slipped up with their story and told Fuma her mother was only thirteen, after being stared into submission Shizune told her the truth. She told Fuma that Momo was not her daughter but that her mother was dead. Shizune told her that Momo's father was indeed as cruel as the man she spoke of, she told Fuma that she had spirited away the child to protect both herself and the child from her father's machinations. When asked who her true father was Shizune told her a lie but a truth, he was a man who had power, a vast amount of power, but that he was from a land far from there. Fuma had accepted it but she had her doubts.

"Oh, Shizune-san, are you here for your order?"

Shizune looked at the woman before her, shorter than her but twice her age. Gorgeous blue tinted hair and pale creamy skin. Her name was Kara Hyuuga, she was the kindest woman Shizune had ever met outside of Hana.

"Yes Kara-san, Momo-chan and I are having a special celebration tonight."

"Oh? What are the festivities for?"

"It is a secret, one I wish to stay between kaa-san and musume."

"I understand, will you be attending Hyuuga-sama's dinner tonight? I hear he is bringing a special guest to the table."

"Oh? Who draws the eye of our esteemed clan head?"

"An Uchiha, a particularly stern one with an angry face. His sons will be in attendance as well, I hear Izuna-chan is quite the looker. Madara-kun however, is broody and moody though the women seem to drift to the older of the pair. What about you Shizune-chan, have you had your eye out for any men lately? You're nearly sixteen correct? That is the marrying age of our clan. Oh, if you do you simply must let me plan for you, I know the best silk traders and I have connections to the Yamanaka, I could bring in an outstanding bouquet for you!"

"Thank you for your kind offer however, for now Momo-chan is my one and only concern. As for the dinner I have not been invited, though if asked I may decline on account of todays importance to myself and Momo-chan."

"Come dear Shizune-chan, you simply must tell me, why today of all days?"

"Your lips overflow with gossip Kara-san, to tell you would be to whisper into the ears of every Hyuuga clan member and their families distant or not."

"You wound me Shizune-chan, I promise, this will be between us."

"Do you swear upon your blood and your sight?"

"Oh dear, this must be something scandalous, I do dear Shizune-chan, tell me so my eyes and blood may be clean and long lived."

"Today is the anniversary of my fathers passing, my mother's passing, it is the day of my birth as well. It is also the day I learned of my conception. This day is holy and tainted for me and mine, therefore I require time to celebrate and mourn at the same time. Momo-chan and I have no other in this world, as sad as it is to be reminded. Please do keep this locked within your heart and let it not seep from your lips, to do so would be to wound me and mine grievously."

"I do so swear, I must say congratulations and give my condolences. Your incense shall be knocked from pricing and considered a gift in both joy and tears. You are one of my constant and caring customers, I will keep you in my prayers to our ancestors for peace and guidance."

"I thank you for your kindness Kara-san."

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Shizune closed the door to her and Momo's room, she enjoyed the air that was pulled through the window. It was cold but with the warmth of the house it was reduced to a touch, as if in intimacy, that curled and flowed around her body in intervals.

"Haha, why do we keep it a secret?"

"Hm?"

"Your birthday, it's supposed to be fun and happy, why a secret?"

"To keep my age a secret, those see me already as tainted for an early birth however, should they learn of your conception before my adolescence we would be cast aside and considered black sheep. It is not of your doing Momo-chan, it is of my own caution."

Shizune nearly had no time to react as the door swung open and a wide eyed Haruto, whom had several small bags in hand, came through the door stunned and speechless.

"Is it true?"

Shizune's eyes widened as she turned her head away, blast everything, her own mouth cursed her.

"Is what true?"

"Do not play coy, are you younger than you have disclosed to us?"

"What of it? Would you mark me with a curse for my musumes conception? Whether I was a willing participant or not?"

"What you claim is further from the truth than you could think Shizune-chan! We are a family based upon family! Our roots are steeped with family bonds and caring for one another! You would not be shamed, nor Momo-chan, you would be cared for and be given assistance for what is needed! We care for you Shizune-chan, you and Momo-chan are of our blood, our eyes, and our souls, you are family!"

Shizune inwardly scoffed, the same words Butsuma had told her when she began to care for Momo, about family bonds and closeness. Butsuma had even called her daughter and friend, to see how he carelessly cast her aside for a merchant's son for what, weapons? No, she believed that honeypotted words meant nothing, only actions were to show true intentions.

"These sweet words, smooth as honey, they have been uttered to me before Haruto-kun. As much as I would be enthralled to believe you, my past has taught me not to rely on those words but the actions behind them. The last male to tell me I was his family, his one and only, slid a blade between my ribs with the same kindness he gave me his hand with. You are my friend but my soul has been tainted with mistrust and pain, I need to see your words, to feel them brace my soul and show me that your intentions are pure."

"Shizune-chan, you know I would never hurt you."

"The same words the man I swore I would give my heart and body to told me the same, I cared for him, and he harmed me. I do not doubt your character Haruto-kun, life has just taught me that words sweet as honey from the comb, can be just as dangerous as the creature who defends them."

"Then prove it I shall, tonight, Shizune-chan, attend the dinner with me as my guest of honor! Sit by my side as my friend and guest and let me show you how our family creates bonds. Momo-chan will be in bed by the eighth hour with the assistance of Fuma-san. So please, on this the eve of your birthday, spend it with me and mine."

"I will give you this chance, though I should warn you, the Uchiha and I hold no love between us. They have wounded me in heart and soul and though I forgive I do not forget."

"It will not be a problem, for this night I will not just be your friend, but I will be your safeguard, a soldier protecting his valued caregiver."

"Then I shall go, just be patient with me."

"I will be patient, you are one of my closest friends, and I wait for the day that you can let go of the hurt and join me in the sun."

"Till that day."

Haruto smiled as he waved to Momo, Shizune closed the door behind him and she laid her forehead against the rough wood and closed her eyes.

"Momo-chan?"

"Yes Haha?"

"What have I just cast us into?"

"Huh?"

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Shizune cursed herself once again, how did she let herself get roped into this? Shizune pouted leaning back against her rooms wall, it was less than three minutes till Momos bedtime and less than five minutes till she had to begin getting dressed. She looked down t the small white haired girl laying against her. She smiled and leaned down planting a gentle kiss on the crown of her head as she heard the child's light snoring. Shizune gently lifted Momo into her arms and walked on her knees to Momos futon. She gently placed the child underneath the comforter and tucked Momo in. Leaning down she placed a gentle kiss on Momos forehead and she stood. A soft knock echoed in the room, Shizune made her way to the door and opened it seeing Fuma.

"Is she down?"

"For the night I am assured, are we going to begin dressing?"

"Yes, a new Kimono has been prepared for you, a bath has been drawn, and our Lady has given permission for you to wear her perfume and borrow a hair comb. I have taken the liberty of choosing the scent and comb, a lovely bone carved comb in layed with silver blossoms. The scent is a mixture of cinnamon and cloves, it will be a good boost to your natural scent."

"My natural scent?"

"Indeed, you may bathe with our soaps, but you smell of Sage, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus. The subtle cinnamon and the stronger cloves will accentuate your scent."

"Why are we going so far for this?"

"To impress the young lord, I am right in assuming you are his dinner companion, yes?"

"That is correct."

"Then your attention should be on him, as should your garb. You are thanking him with your presence as a woman and two parts of that happen to be your body and your scent. If you enrapture him with both you will give him the thanks you need. Remember, you are woman, you are the better sex and the stronger creature, you are more graceful and more clever, show that to him."

"You make it sound as if I am being courted or doing the courting Fuma-san."

"Being allowed to sit in on political discussions such as these as a guest, especially one of your stature, shows incredible worth to the clan heads family."

"I see, what does my Lord feel about this?"

"Hyuuga-sama believes that getting you involved more with the clan will be beneficial in the long run."

"What about our Lady?"

"I would not even pretend to understand nor make an assumption of our Lady's wants or machinations."

"I agree, she is cunning and swift as a fox."

"Very much so, now, shall we get ready?"

"Very well."

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Haruto was anxious, to be honest it was getting worse daily. Since he carried the girl in his arms, seen her at her weakest, and seen her at her strongest. Since that day he had been enraptured by her beauty, she lingered in his mind, his dreams, in his heart. Her smile brought his heart soaring, her eyes seemed to glow in her happiness, threaten to swallow the world in her rage, she was amazing. She was kind, caring, she healed those who have even wronged her, and she was a doting mother. He wanted to marry her, to court her and call her his and she would call him hers, and Momo would call him father. That was his current dream, the only obstacles were her status as being new and people questioning her lineage. Though her test proved her more pure than anyone in the compound it gave them pause, some even accused her of breaking the seal. It was preposterous, she was the perfect woman for the heir of the Hyuuga clan. His father agreed, Fuma agreed, the only one who stood against her and kept the courting from taking place was her mother who wished to wait for the proper age of sixteen. For Hotaru this would be enough, for them she was nearly that age and would be given away without a question. If only they knew.

"Haruto-kun, are you not listening?"

"I apologize Tou-sama, forgive me for my absent mindedness."

"It is fine Hyuuga-sama, my own sons seem to be drawn to distant lands themselves."

"I am afraid Haruto-kun's attention is drawn far closer Uchiha-sama."

"Oh?"

"Indeed, a woman has caught Haruto-kun's eye, she will be joining us soon enough."

"I count myself and my sons lucky, to find such a woman to enrapture Haruto-san, Hyuuga-sama."

The sound of the thick oak doors opening drew the five men and one woman's attention to said door. Haruto's breath hitched as he looked at Shizune who stood in the doorway with an unspoken grace and almost giving off an heir of royalty to her. Even his mother felt jealous of how beautiful she was this night.

Shizune nearly blushed when she saw everyone's eyes on her wide with surprise, or something else she did not know of. Her Kimono for the night was pure white, with a white obi, the first layer of the kimono was a charcoal black with white lining. It brought attention to her neck and jawline, her hair was pinned back in a manner that made it look like a butterfly with the comb holding it together. As per the norm she barely had any make up on, tucked to her side was a fan, silver in color. The earrings she wore were silver sparrows that seemed to be in mid flight, she knew she looked stunning, but to see other people being stunned, it was flustering. Giving the crowd a deep bow she closed her eyes and held her hands to her abdomen.

"I do apologise for my tardiness my Lords and Lady, it is inexcusable and I shall prepare to work to my utmost to keep from repeating the event.

Lady Hyuuga was the first to speak.

"What kept you dear Shizune-chan?"

"My daughter, Hyuuga-sama, she refused to surrender to sleep."

"It is understandable Shizune-chan, come, join us at Haruto-kun's side."

Shizune moved with grace, the power of her father's blood pulsing through her veins with every step. She was royalty, she knew it even if she was the only one. She sat herself next to Haruto who simply could not stop ogling her.

"Haruto-kun, you are staring."

"My apologies Shizune-chan, you have just taken my breath away tonight."

"I thank you for your kind words Haruto-kun, it pleases me to hear you enjoy my presence."

"How are you this night dear Shizune-chan?"

"I am very well Hyuuga-sama, Lady Hyuuga and your own graces have given me this opportunity to enjoy this night more so than I would have normally."

"Oh? Tonight is special? How so?"

"I am afraid-"

"Tou-sama, I have asked her as well and she told me of the reason, it is truly her own."

"I apologise for my digging then Shizune-chan."

"It is nothing to be considered, you are our Lord, it is within your right."

Shizune felt her hands sweating a tad bit, the room seemed stagnant, tense, it was unsettling. She nearly gasped when she felt a rough and calloused hand take hers gently. Sh looked to her left and Haruto gave her a small smile and a gentle squeeze. She smiled inwardly and gave his hand a squeeze in return giving he thanks for his gesture.

"Pardon me if I may Shizune-san. My name is Uchiha Tajima, these are my sons, Izuna-kun and Madara-kun."

"It is a pleasure and an honor Uchiha-sama, Madara-san, Izuna-san."

"Tell me if you will Shizune-chan, do you come from the north?"

"Pardon?"

"Northward, do you hail from Senju lands?"

"I am afraid not Uchiha-sama, my family hail from a border city of the Senju lands and Kaze no Kuni named Fumushiro."

"I see, I was simply curious."

Haruto raised a brow as he turned to Tajima.

"Uchiha-sama if you do not mind me asking, why did you ask if she hailed from the Senju lands?"

"Butsuma-san took in a stray a few years back, Ivory hair, skin, and eyes like liquid mercury. Not long ago she fled the compound with her little sister. The Senju are offering a plentiful bounty for her sisters return and the child is a part of the reward to be given to the hunter who brought them in as a wife."

"Well as you can see Uchiha-sama, Shizune has hair as white as snow, pale skin, and the Byakugan. She is Hyuuga."

"I meant no disrespect Haruto-kun, nor any to yourself Shizune-chan."

"None is taken Uchiha-sama, though I am curious, why not ask about my child?"

"Well, the younger sisters description is that she is tiny, frail, quiet, and she has pink eyes. Her hair is ivory similar to her mother and sisters."

Lady Hyuuga simply giggled to Tajima's words.

"Has something I said tickled your interest Lady Hyuuga-sama?"

"Oh, if you had the pleasure to meet Momo-chan you would set yourself straight upon your suspicions. Momo-chan has the energy and wildness of even our boys, she wrestles with them and fights with them as if she was a boy herself. She has abundant energy and quite frankly never learns to be quiet, she is an absolute doll."

"I see, once again I must apologize Shizune-san."

"No offense taken Uchiha-sama, I would understand the suspicion if I were in your very own shoes."

Tajima chuckled and waved lazily to her.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"As usual Hyuuga-sama your food is delicious, your kindness is astounding, and your terms fair. We of the Uchiha gladly revise our contracts to the agreed upon state."

"I thank you for the kind words Uchiha-sama."

"Now, my sons and I must retire for the night."

Lord Hyuuga stood and clapped his hands twice and in marched three women.

"Your rooms have been prepared, allow our maidens to lead you to your rooms."

"Thank you for your generosity Hyuuga-sama."

Shizune watched the three men led away by women equal their age. She let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding. With the sound of a cough she turned and saw Lord Hyuuga with a brow raised.

"I apologise Hyuuga-sama."

"I was simply wondering as to why you huffed."

"Uchiha-sama and his sons, their presence is suffocating."

"Indeed, they are men of status and power, it is wise to be weary of them."

Shizune nodded and gave the older man a gentle smile.

"I am going to retire for the night Hyuuga-sama."

Lord Hyuugas wife stood as she turned to each of the remaining people and gave a gentle bow. She looked her husband in the eye and nodded gently.

"Good night my love."

"Night Haha."

"Good night Lady Hyuuga-sama."

Shizune watched her leave and she smiled to Haruto.

"She was receptive to my presence tonight."

"Of course she was Shizune-chan, she likes you. Haha is just a little bristly like a porcupine when she has her defences up."

Shizune giggled but was interrupted by Lord Hyuugas cough.

"If I may Shizune-chan."

"By your lead Hyuuga-sama."

"I wish to discuss with you the prospect of pursuing a courtship with my son."

Shizune blinked, she hadn't realized how tight her grip on Harutos hand was, nor the wideness of her eyes.

"Pardon my lord?"

"I am giving my son the approval to court you."

Shizune bit her lip, she knew there was nothing she could do. To refuse would be to spit in Lord Hyuugas face, it would hurt Haruto, and it would alienate several members of the Hyuuga. She also wished to remain here for Momo, this place was good for her and would remain protected for as long as Shizune stayed. She looked to Haruto, then to Lord Hyuuga and signed her soul away.

"I agree Hyuuga-sama."

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 **Well, it seems I will be moving to a dual Sunday schedule. I will release Silence the 1st and 3rd sundays of the month, and the Flaming Saga the 2nd and 4th. This change is brought about due to my schedule and the new task that has been added upon it. I apologise for the late posts but it was necessary for my schools participation. I look forward to continuing to post and do it in a comfortable scene. Till next time,**

 **~ Ardent Chronicler**


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